noun
-
an adjustment, change, or modification
-
the act of altering or state of being altered
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of alteration
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English alteracioun, from Medieval Latin alterātiōn-, stem of alterātiō; equivalent to alter + -ation
Explanation
The pants are too long, the jacket too tight and the vest is too short. Looks like your suit is in need of some serious alteration, or adjustment. No one knows alterations like tailors. All they do is adjust, modify and otherwise alter people's ill fitting clothes. But hemlines aren't the only things that can undergo alteration. Savvy scientists may someday make alterations to genetic sequencing — just like Dr. Jekyll underwent some serious alterations to become Mr. Hyde.
Vocabulary lists containing alteration
Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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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.
Alfonsi refused, arguing — correctly, as it turned out — that administration officials refused to appear on air and that any alteration would reflect poorly on the network.
From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026
He said if the government thought the humble address was "too broad as drafted and needs to be refined", ministers must seek "consent for any alteration" from MPs.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
The company is paying for overtime for its more than 3,000 alteration specialists as needed to meet the demand.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026
One major alteration is how the death of Scarpetta’s father impacts her future career.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026
The metabolic alteration produced a profound genetic alteration in a cell.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
