alter

al·ter

Use alter in a sentence

verb

The definition of alter means to make something different without completely changing it.

An example of alter is to cut a few inches off the bottom of a dress to make it shorter.

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"Alter." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Alter.

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Alter. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Alter

alter

to make different in details but not in substance; modify
to resew parts of (a garment) for a better fit
to castrate or spay

Origin of alter

Middle English alteren from Medieval Latin alterare from Classical Latin alter, other from Indo-European an unverified form al- (see else) + -tero-, comparative suffix

to become different; change; vary

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MLA Style

"Alter." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Alter.

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Alter. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Alter

alter

verb

al·tered, al·ter·ing, al·ters

verb

transitive

To change or make different; modify: altered my will.
To adjust (a garment) for a better fit.
To castrate or spay (an animal, such as a cat or a dog).

verb

intransitive

To change or become different.

Origin of alter

Middle English alteren from Old French alterer from Medieval Latin alterāre from Latin alter other ; see al-¹ in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

al′ter·a·bil′i·ty al′ter·a·ble·ness
noun

al′ter·a·ble
adjective

al′ter·a·bly
adverb

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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MLA Style

"Alter." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Alter.

APA Style

Alter. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Alter

Verb

(third-person singular simple present alters, present participle altering, simple past and past participle altered)

To change the form or structure of.
(intransitive) To become different.
To tailor clothes to make them fit.
To castrate, neuter or spay (a dog or other animal).

Anagrams

Origin

From Old French alterer (French altérer), from Medieval Latin alterare (“to make other”), from Latin alter (“the other”), from al- (seen in alius (“other”), alienus (“of another”), etc.; see alias, alien, etc.) + compar. suffix -ter.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

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MLA Style

"Alter." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Alter.

APA Style

Alter. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Alter

alter - Medical Definition

v.

To castrate or spay an animal, such as a cat or a dog.
To change or become different.

Related Forms:

al′ter·a·bil′i·ty al′ter·a·ble·ness
n.

al′ter·a·ble
adj.

al′ter·a·bly
adv.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"Alter." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Alter.

APA Style

Alter. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Alter

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alter

alter

alter - Medical Definition

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alter

alter

alter

alter - Medical Definition

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