Altered
/ˈɔːltərd/
verbBeginner📊CommonAction
1 meaning1 question
Definitions
1
To make changes to something, usually in a significant way.
/ˈɔːltərd/
verbneutralBeginner
Action
To change or modify something
He altered the course of the river.
💡 Simply: To change something.
More Examples
2
The software has been altered to fix the bug.
How It's Used
General
"The artist altered the painting to improve its composition."
Science
"The experiment's results were altered by unforeseen factors."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
From Old English *altrēodan, past participle of *altrēdan "to change entirely, alter," from *alter- "other" + *trēdan "to tread, walk, go." The modern sense developed from the idea of changing the course or state of something.
While the root suggests a sense of 'changing entirely,' the modern usage often implies more subtle changes.
Memory tip
Think of 'altering' your clothes – you're changing them.
Word Origin
Original meaning
"To change entirely"
Base: alter
altered statealtered perceptionsignificantly altered
Common misspellings
altheredalterd
Practice
Usage
30%Spoken
70%Written