alteration

noun

al·​ter·​a·​tion ˌȯl-tə-ˈrā-shən 

plural alterations

1

: the act or process of altering something

The dress needs alteration for a proper fit.

: the state of being altered

2

: the result of changing or altering something: such as

a

: a change made in fitting a garment

no charge for alterations

b

: a change in a legal instrument that alters its legal effect

She made some alterations to her will.

c

: a mineral that has been altered by a chemical process : metasomatism

Synonyms

• change
• difference
• modification
• redoing
• refashioning
• remaking
• remodeling
• revamping
• review
• revise
• revision
• reworking
• variation

Examples of alteration in a Sentence

the alteration of the pattern

They did a good job on the dress alteration.

He made alterations in his will.

Recent Examples on the Web

Changing one microRNA can change several other genes, resulting in a plethora of alterations that can collectively reshape the cell’s physiology. —Andrea Kasinski, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2024

And that pursuit of excellence also includes executive alterations when warranted. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 2 Oct. 2024

Namely, that SpaceX on three occasions submitted requests to revise their plans for space launches and carried out those alterations without receiving regulatory approval. —William Gavin, Quartz, 20 Sep. 2024

How could the pagers been physically modified to explode? Causing a short circuit in a battery to trigger thermal runaway and an explosion with a physical alteration is fairly straight-forward, Pecht said. —Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English alteracioun "change, transformation," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French alteracion, borrowed from Medieval Latin alterātiōn-, alterātiō, from Late Latin alterāre "to change, alter" + Latin -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

alteration

noun

al·​ter·​ation ˌȯl-tə-ˈrā-shən 

1

a

: the act or process of altering

b

: the state of being altered

2

: the result of altering : modification