alter
1 Americanverb (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)
noun
abbreviation
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.
Related Words
See adjust,
Other Word Forms
- alterability noun
- alterable adjective
- alterably adverb
- alterer noun
- half-altered adjective
- prealter verb (used with object)
- realter verb
- unaltering adjective
- well-altered adjective
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”
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.
“It keeps markets in a constant state of anticipation, as any unexpected deviation, whether toward a deeper slowdown or higher inflation, could significantly alter monetary policy expectations,” he says.
From MarketWatch
They can quickly alter both the color and texture of their skin, a capability scientists have long tried to replicate in man-made materials.
From Science Daily
The 14th Amendment was intended to constitutionalize, not alter, the Civil Rights Act.
These are poets who sought to alter the reader’s perception of reality by way of arresting, often sense-defying arrangements of language and imagery.
A nonprofit exists to preserve them, but tour guide Teri Rommelmann said preservation efforts aren’t meant to alter the course of nature and time, but rather to save the work from sinking into the sand.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
