Alter
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
-
to make different in some particular, as size, style, course, or the like; modify.
to alter a coat; to alter a will; to alter course.
-
to castrate or spay.
verb (used without object)
abbreviation
verb
Usage
What is another way to say alter?
To alter something is to make it different in some particular way, such as in size, style, or course. How does alter compare to change? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Related Words
See adjust,
Other Word Forms
- alterability noun
- alterable adjective
- alterably adverb
- alterer noun
- half-altered adjective
- prealter verb (used with object)
- realter verb
- unaltering adjective
- well-altered adjective
Etymology
Origin of alter
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French alterer, from Late Latin alterāre “to change, worsen,” derivative of Latin alter “other”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In one case, they altered records of loans charged off as losses to make the loans appear to collateral holders that they were still generating returns, according to prosecutors.
From Barron's
Although the overall structure of the cells remained intact, these small abnormalities may be enough to permanently alter how cells orient themselves during division.
From Science Daily
—Bitcoin fell as the latest U.S. jobs data weren’t soft enough to materially alter interest-rate cut expectations for the Federal Reserve.
Even analog reward programs can alter consumer behavior because of the “endowed progress effect.”
From MarketWatch
The carmaker's decision to alter its EV plans follows a similar announcement from General Motors in October.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
