noun
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an adjustment, change, or modification
-
the act of altering or state of being altered
Other Word Forms
- prealteration noun
- proalteration adjective
- realteration noun
Etymology
Origin of alteration
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English alteracioun, from Medieval Latin alterātiōn-, stem of alterātiō; equivalent to alter + -ation
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.
That dispute is settled, without major alteration to the Senate’s character.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
One major alteration is how the death of Scarpetta’s father impacts her future career.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026
The White House post offered no disclaimer that the image had been edited, and it was not immediately clear whether the alteration was done using an AI tool or other photo editing software.
From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026
All three share the same alteration in the GPX4 gene, identified as the R152H mutation.
From Science Daily • Dec. 9, 2025
The punt slipped downstream smoothly, without any alteration of the speed which it had gained within a few yards of leaving the bank.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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.
