alter

UK /ˈɒl.tə/ US /ˈɑːl.tɚ/ Syllables: al-ter

Pronunciation

Verb A1 Beginner Formal

To change something, usually in a small or specific way.

To alter is to change something, usually in a small or specific way. A tailor alters a jacket by making the sleeves shorter. A writer might alter a few words in a sentence, and a government may alter a rule. Alter is more formal than change, and it often suggests that the thing stays mostly the same. The noun is alteration, which is also the word for the work a tailor does. Do not confuse alter with altar, which is a table in a church.

"The tailor altered the trousers so they would fit properly."

Meanings

To change something, usually in a small or specific way.
To make clothes fit better by sewing.

Example sentences

"The tailor altered the sleeves so the jacket fit him."

Level B1, Meaning 2
"We had to alter our plans because of the rain."

Level B1, Meaning 1
"The new law will alter the way people pay taxes."

Level B2, Meaning 1
"She altered one word in the sentence."

Level B1, Meaning 1

Synonyms and antonyms

Synonyms

change modify

Antonyms

preserve keep

Look-alikes and common mistakes

altar : An altar is a table in a church or a temple. It sounds like alter but means something else.
change : Change is the everyday word and covers any difference. Alter usually means a small adjustment.

Word family and forms

Forms: alters, altered, altering

alteration alternate alternative

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "alter".

alter plans
alter a dress
alter the course
slightly altered
alter the rules
alter your mind

Origin

Alter came into English in the 1300s from Old French alterer, which took it from Medieval Latin alterare, to make other. The Latin source is alter, meaning the other, so to alter was to make something different, or other, than it was.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Dictionary.com.

How to remember it

Alter and altar sound the same. An altar is in a church, but to alter is to change, as in alter a coat.

Test yourself

Which word fits the gap? "The tailor _____ the sleeves so the jacket fit him."

Answer: alter

In your own words, what does "alter" mean?