alter
verb (used with object)
to make different in some particular, as size, style, course, or the like; modify.
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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
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alterernoun
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realterverb
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prealterverb (used with object)
-
alterableadjective
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half-alteredadjective
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unalteringadjective
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well-alteredadjective
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alterablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
altersimple
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alterssimple
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have alteredperfect
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has alteredperfect
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am alteringprogressive
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are alteringprogressive
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is alteringprogressive
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have been alteringperfect progressive
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has been alteringperfect progressive
Past
-
alteredsimple
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had alteredperfect
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was alteringprogressive
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were alteringprogressive
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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
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Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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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.
See Examples For:
Revisions to third quarter GDP could alter the final ratio.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Oct. 29, 2026
Before long, dead ends give way to a digital abyss, pulling them both into something that will alter their perception of reality and the lives of hundreds of others called to follow them.
From Salon โ Oct. 29, 2026
"It does not generate new scenes or performances, alter actors' faces or likenesses, or use synthetic voices," he said, adding that a human editor would be "reviewing and approving every stage of the editing process".
From BBC โ Oct. 29, 2026
If the cooling is sufficiently strong, it could alter ocean circulation around Antarctica in ways that allow more CO2 to be stored beneath the ocean's surface.
From Science Daily โ Oct. 28, 2026
Darwin's “gemmule” theory—that hereditary instructions were thrown adrift by all cells and then floated in the blood, like a million messages in bottles—suggested that blood transfusions might transmit gemmules and thereby alter heredity.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
During the October 7 vigil, an Ann Arbor Chabad House Rabbi Alter Goldstein said he hoped the winner would "have tolerance."
From Barron's โ Oct. 22, 2026
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
Alter, a copywriter, and her husband, Darian, a sports betting professional, married at the Boca Raton Resort & Club in January 2023 before about 220 guests.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Jul. 3, 2026
“We think it has to do with the metabolic toxicity associated with the lack of exercise,” says Dr. David Alter, a cardiologist who teaches at the University of Toronto.
From Barron's โ Jun. 27, 2026
“Do something else, by all means! Alter the future! Make the world a better place in which to live! Help the poor! Feed the hungry. Be kind to idiots! What a challenge!”
From "Grendel" by John Gardner
"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
This effectively alters the cosmic ruler used to measure distances and, in turn, the value of the Hubble constant inferred from the model, helping to ease the Hubble tension.
From Science Daily โ Oct. 4, 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
Infant formula is designed to provide the correct balance of nutrients for babies when mothers cannot or choose not to breastfeed, and adding extra water alters that balance.
From BBC โ Aug. 16, 2026
Whether released into soil or water or a man’s blood, these unrelated chemicals do not remain segregated; there are mysterious and unseen changes by which one alters the power of another for harm.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Target, which redesigned its gift-card program in 2024 to prevent tampering, reminds shoppers on its security webpage to look out for gift-card packaging that looks altered and to only check balances on a specific website.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Oct. 28, 2026
Authorities determined that Owens altered an ultrasound image, fabricated a pregnancy video and lied under oath claiming she was pregnant, according to a statement from prosecutors at the time.
From Los Angeles Times โ Oct. 26, 2026
The company has been panned by some academics and scientists, who doubt Colossal’s claims of scientific breakthroughs and warn that introducing heavily genetically altered creatures can cause dangerous ecological disruption.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Oct. 23, 2026
Shocked minerals are particularly important because their internal crystal structures have been altered by immense pressure.
From Science Daily โ Oct. 21, 2026
She’d already altered the hinges on all her doors so that they squealed loudly any time they opened.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
In the nine days since riots erupted in cities across France, thousands of merchants have also boarded up their storefronts, radically altering the Paris streetscape.
From Los Angeles Times โ Oct. 28, 2026
When they divide, the resulting structures may operate differently, altering how efficiently cells produce and consume energy.
From Science Daily โ Oct. 24, 2026
Our reporters visually track how carriers are altering the world’s busiest flight paths to navigate around conflicts.
From The Wall Street Journal โ Oct. 23, 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
The customer courtesy software filtered my voice, altering its tone and inflection to ensure that I always sounded cheerful and upbeat.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, ยฉ Random House, Inc. 2023
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