# alter

Pronunciation: US say "AWL-tur" /ˈɔl.təɹ/; UK say "OL-tuh" /ˈɒl.tə/

## Verb

1. To change, or make something or someone change, in form, character, course or details, including changing how a person thinks or perceives, as drugs or illness can.
   - Simple: To change, or to make something or someone different in some way.
   - _Engineers can alter the frame to make the bridge stronger._
   - _She altered the recipe by replacing butter with oil._
2. To tailor a garment so that it fits the wearer properly.
   - Simple: To change a piece of clothing so it fits the person better.
   - _A skilled tailor can alter a suit to fit you perfectly._
   - _They altered the gown twice before the wedding._
3. To neuter or spay an animal, removing its ability to reproduce. *(US, Canada)*
   - Simple: To neuter or spay a pet so it cannot have babies.
   - _Most shelters alter every animal before sending it home._
   - _They altered the stray cat to help control the local population._

## Other meanings

- (noun) One of the distinct personalities or identities in a person with dissociative identity disorder or another form of multiplicity.

## Origin

The verb goes back to Latin alter ("the other"), formed from the root al- (as in alius, "other", and alienus, "of another") with the comparative suffix -ter. Medieval Latin made from it alterāre ("to make other"), which reached English through Old French alterer (modern French altérer).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/alter (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).