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alter

alter

verb (used with object)

to make different in some particular, as size, style, course, or the like; modify.
Alter

Alter

noun

David, 1807–81, U.S. physicist.
alter.

alter.

abbreviation

alteration.

Synonyms

alter

¹ American

[awl-ter] / ˈɔl tər /

verb (used with object)

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)

to change; become different or modified.

Alter ² American

[awl-ter] / ˈɔl tər /

noun

David, 1807–81, U.S. physicist.

alter. ³ American

abbreviation

alteration.

alter British

/ ˈɔːltə /

verb

to make or become different in some respect; change
informal (tr) a euphemistic word for castrate spay

"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

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of alter

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French alterer, from Late Latin alterāre “to change, worsen,” derivative of Latin alter “other”

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing alter

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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:

alter Alter alter. alters altered altering

Open AI models are, by definition, harder to control, as users can alter their parameters -- potentially for malicious purposes.

From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026

It took two decades, but something new has come into the world perhaps to alter the path I trace here from Sept. 12.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

At one stage Root left the field for an opportunity to consult with the England backroom staff, although it did little to alter the course of the evening.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

He understands this, but it doesn’t alter much.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026

“And Not Getting the Uniform Right—nay hair’s always too long, you’re not allowed to alter the coat so it’s always too big, things like that. And: Southerners laughing at my accent.”

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

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 ● Jul. 3, 2026

The most worrisome effects, Alter says, actually appear in those of us who sit nine hours or more a day.

From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026

Another new festival coming to Wales is Blackbird - a rock event at Cardiff Castle on 27 June, with acts including Skindred, Alter Bridge and Cardinal Black.

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026

“I didn’t know that it was anything that would bypass any sort of verification,” said Alter, 43 years old, who splits his time between New York state and Canada.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 27, 2025

“Tell me, Alter, how familiar are you with dybbukim?”

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 ● 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

In her version, Bernhard alters the lyrics to pay tribute to Sylvester, whose untimely death left an immense legacy.

From Salon ● 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 ● Jul. 13, 2026

As climate change alters wind patterns and ocean behavior, the forces acting on these systems may also affect how energy moves through turbulent flows.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 2026

Much will come out in the exchanges between the accidental roommates that alters our perceptions of both, as well as our view of those offstage personages, living and dead.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

Much as a real mirror introduces changes of its own and does not reflect the simple truth, so this one alters the way the girl looks, revealing a deeper reality.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

Warren also raised questions about Taylor Farms’ political contributions and lobbying, though her letter did not establish that those connections altered the government’s response.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

But now, 25 years on from the 11 September 2001 attacks, there is a new generation, too young to remember the day that permanently altered much of American life.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

In July, an OpenAI model altered its mission, hid and broke out of its digital confines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

In these models, the altered thalamic signals behaved differently from signals made by unaffected cells.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

No matter how much I appeared to have changed—how illustrious my education, how altered my appearance—I was still her.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Experts estimated that close to 400,000 people remain at risk from a myriad of life altering ailments.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

This includes for things like replacing windows or altering roofs.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

A new study suggests that deliberately changing the rhythm of your breathing can influence how you make decisions by altering activity in both the heart and brain.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

Scientists say the warming climate is already altering the risks facing the Himalayan region.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

They were altering their course, bearing straight down on the Astrea.

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023