alter
verb (used with object)
to make different in some particular, as size, style, course, or the like; modify.
altered
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past participleof alter.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof alter.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
alterverb (used with object)to make different in some particular, as size, style, course, or the like; modify.
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.
Understand the world with the help of the Muppets: In 2012, Dahlia Lithwick published a piece of cultural analysis that permanently altered how readers viewed their marriages, their workplaces, and the U.S.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
Genetic testing revealed that Gary and Shaggy each had two altered copies of FBN1, having inherited one from each parent.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
The weather has certainly altered in this area.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
The U.S. release ended up with an altered track listing that highlighted the group’s folkier leanings; Joni Mitchell wore the grooves out on her copy and slipped “Norwegian Wood” into her coffeehouse sets in Detroit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
That was how I felt toward the whole city: that it should be behind glass, adored from a distance, never touched, never altered.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
