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alterative

American  
[awl-tuh-rey-tiv, -ter-uh-tiv] / ˈɔl təˌreɪ tɪv, -tər ə tɪv /

adjective

  1. tending to alter.

  2. Medicine/Medical Obsolete. gradually restoring healthy bodily functions.

noun

  1. Medicine/Medical Obsolete. an alterative remedy.

alterative British  
/ ˈɔːltərətɪv /

adjective

  1. likely or able to produce alteration

  2. obsolete (of a drug) able to restore 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

noun

  1. 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

Etymology

Origin of alterative

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word alterātīvus. See alter, -ative

Vocabulary lists containing alterative

"A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry

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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.

Police Scotland Supt Andrew Barclay, of the force's Road Policing Unit said motorists should "drive to the conditions and be aware of increased stopping distances", as well as having alterative routes planned.

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2025

She updates the lists manually to provide alterative items for donors to buy.

From Reuters • Jul. 29, 2021

Asian-American groups tried to coalesce around former Obama administration HUD official Nani Coloretti as their preferred alterative.

From Slate • Mar. 23, 2021

A 55-ton acoustical shell has been designed for an alterative configuration, and that remains to be heard.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2016

She thought Sarah would be the proper alterative.

From A Rose of a Hundred Leaves A Love Story by Barr, Amelia Edith Huddleston

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.