unaltered

American

[uhn-awl-terd] / ʌnˈɔl tərd /

adjective

not altered, changed, or modified.

We approved the unaltered designs.
(of an animal) not neutered.

unaltered British

/ ʌnˈɔːltəd /

adjective

not altered; unchanged

"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 unaltered

First recorded in 1545–55; un- ¹ + alter + -ed ²

Explanation

Unaltered means unchanged. If your parents’ poor opinion of your boyfriend remains unaltered no matter how polite he is or how early he brings you home, it may be because of his tattoos and motorcycle. Unaltered is the opposite of altered, meaning to adjust or change. If you meet a friend you haven't seen in ten years, and she looks the same as you remember, you might exclaim at how unaltered she seems. If you buy a pair of pants that need to be hemmed, you won't be able to wear them in their unaltered state.

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Vocabulary lists containing unaltered

Shake It Up: Alter

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alter

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Alter (Level I)

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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.

In fact, cash levels remained unaltered from March at 4.3%, still some way off the panicky highs of 4.8% in April 2025 and 6.3% in October 2022.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Used in that sense, the word began to circulate in French—and then, unaltered, in both German and English—in the second half of the 19th century.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

Significantly, the quota of PGA Tour cards going to the leading 10 DP World Tour players, not already exempt, will be unaltered under the plans revealed last week.

From BBC • Nov. 4, 2024