alter
verb (used with object)
to make different in some particular, as size, style, course, or the like; modify.
Showing results for alter.
Search instead for
alteri.
Trivia Time
In Greek mythology, which shape-shifting sea god could alter his appearance at will?
alter
1 American
[awl-ter]
/ หษl tษr /
verb (used with object)
-
alters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
altered,
past participle, past
-
altering
present participle
-
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)
-
alters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
altered,
past participle, past
-
altering
present participle
Alter
2
American
[awl-ter]
/ หษl tษr /
noun
alter.
3
American
abbreviation
alter
British
/ หษหltษ /
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.
Synonym Usage
See adjust,
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
alterabilitynoun
-
alterernoun
-
realterverb
-
prealterverb (used with object)
-
alterableadjective
-
half-alteredadjective
-
unalteringadjective
-
well-alteredadjective
-
alterablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
altersimple
-
alterssimple
-
have alteredperfect
-
has alteredperfect
-
am alteringprogressive
-
are alteringprogressive
-
is alteringprogressive
-
have been alteringperfect progressive
-
has been alteringperfect progressive
Past
-
alteredsimple
-
had alteredperfect
-
was alteringprogressive
-
were alteringprogressive
-
had been alteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of alter
First recorded in 1350โ1400; Middle English, from Old French alterer, from Late Latin alterฤre โto change, worsen,โ derivative of Latin alter โotherโ
Explanation
After eating too many gingerbread cookies, she no longer fit into her uniform, so she had a seamstress alter it. It looked pretty much the same. The verb alter can also mean to neuter or spay. Think of a cat that has just been spayed: the cat you pick up from the vet is the same cat that you dropped off there, only perhaps a little groggy and unable to reproduce. While the cat has been altered, it's not a different cat.
Vocabulary lists containing alter
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com โ one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more โ and it's all completely free to use!
Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com โ we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Now, he’s going to be applying for British citizenship, a change that could alter his comedic perspective.
From Los Angeles Times โ Oct. 15, 2026
The figure helps introduce the exhibition’s exploration of humanity’s relationship to nature; Albuquerque imagines the character as the maker of her landscape projects and considers her an alter ego.
From Los Angeles Times โ Oct. 13, 2026
The government will release key inflation reports next week, which could alter expectations.
From MarketWatch โ Oct. 7, 2026
Researchers used a model created by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts to estimate how seasonal atmospheric changes alter Earth's center of mass.
From Science Daily โ Oct. 7, 2026
And Play God, to permanently alter the landscape.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
The incident overshadowed what was supposed to be a triumphant launch for Lisa's debut solo album, Alter Ego.
From BBC โ Oct. 10, 2026
As the Soviets rounded up hundreds of Bundists in Poland, party leaders such as Henryk Erlich and Viktor Alter fled.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Jul. 14, 2026
Looking back, Caroline Alter said she would’ve questioned how much to spend on flowers.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Jul. 3, 2026
“To the extent we think oxygen is the golden nugget to live on earth, our use of oxygen is really important,” Alter told Barron’s.
From Barron's โ Jun. 27, 2026
“Wait a minute, what are you doing here, Alter? Don’t tell me you were arrested?”
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
"No-one ever thought it would alter. Their way of life was constant and familiar, as it had been as long as anyone could remember."
From BBC โ Sep. 18, 2021
Both 4to 1679 and 1724 read'false souly', which I have ventured to alter. p.
From The Works of Aphra Behn, Volume II by Montague Summers
Spanish meteorological research group Climatoc-Lab described it as "a manifestation of how global warming alters the hydrological cycle".
From BBC โ Sep. 22, 2026
Whether the latest upswing in crude prices alters their longer-term outlook remains to be seen, as Brent’s return to triple digits sends government bond yields higher.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Sep. 15, 2026
In her version, Bernhard alters the lyrics to pay tribute to Sylvester, whose untimely death left an immense legacy.
From Salon โ Sep. 5, 2026
He used his remission to promote CAR T-cell therapy, which genetically alters one’s cells to fight cancer, after he said chemotherapy stopped working.
From Los Angeles Times โ Jul. 13, 2026
“My guess is that the needle injected you with a transmitter,” he says, “and the gas was an aerosol version of the liquid that alters the brain. But why...”
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
But open-weight models like those released by Chinese companies can be more easily altered and optimized by users for nefarious purposes.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Oct. 15, 2026
The circumstances surrounding the release of “Toxicity” became even more surreal one week later, when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks changed the country and altered the way some listeners interpreted the album.
From Los Angeles Times โ Oct. 12, 2026
“You’re hitting the ground with the same magnitude of force,” says Dr. Daniel Lieberman, a Harvard evolutionary biologist whose research focuses on how modern footwear has altered human biomechanics.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Oct. 10, 2026
The weather has certainly altered in this area.
From BBC โ Oct. 8, 2026
My throat tightens as I see this altered version of my uncle lying there.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
The warming phase of a natural climate cycle, El Nino events temporarily elevate global temperatures, altering cloud and wind patterns, and raise the risk of damaging weather.
From Barron's โ Oct. 15, 2026
Fintech founders have caught on to how Americans are altering their financial habits, and they’ve created new products to try to meet the moment.
From MarketWatch โ Oct. 13, 2026
But he says "more than 30 years worth of behaviors" will need altering to make the railway run solely in the interests of the customer.
From BBC โ Oct. 12, 2026
"Inside the body, we can't do that post-manufacturing quality control, so we really needed to optimize the approach upfront to avoid altering any other cells."
From Science Daily โ Oct. 7, 2026
We would stay up all night gabbing, sometimes while Rosa pinned wedding dresses on me that she was altering for work.
From "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, ยฉ Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritageยฎ Idioms Dictionary copyright ยฉ 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
