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alterative

[ awl-tuh-rey-tiv, -ter-uh-tiv ]
/ ˈɔl təˌreɪ tɪv, -tər ə tɪv /
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adjective
tending to alter.
Medicine/Medical Obsolete. gradually restoring healthy bodily functions.
noun
Medicine/Medical Obsolete. an alterative remedy.
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Origin of alterative

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word alterātīvus.See alter, -ative
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use alterative in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for alterative

alterative
/ (ˈɔːltərətɪv) /

adjective
likely or able to produce alteration
obsolete (of a drug) able to restore normal health
noun
obsolete a drug that restores normal health
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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