Meanings
plural alterations
- countableuncountableThe act of altering or making different.
…alteration, though it be from worse to better, hath in it inconveniences…
1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity- countableuncountableA minor adjustment to clothing, such as hemming or shortening, to make it fit better.
- countableuncountableThe state of being altered; a change made in the form or nature of a thing; a changed condition.
The doctors don't see any alteration in the patient's condition.
1 more example
…and I saw by the alteration in your face that a train of thought had been started.
1892, Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Resident Patient”, in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another
nounthe act of making something different (as e.g. the size of a garment)
nounthe act of revising or altering (involving reconsideration and modification)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Medieval Latinalterātiō
- Old Frenchalteracion
- Englishalteration
From Old French alteracion (French altération), from Medieval Latin alterātiō. Morphologically alter + -ation.
More words from Old French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἐξαλλαγή
- ἐξαλλαγή (exallagḗ)the act of altering or making different
Arabic تَغَيُّر, تَغْيِير
- تَغَيُّر (taḡayyur)the state of being altered
- تَغْيِير (taḡyīr)the act of altering or making different
Bulgarian промяна, промененост
- промяна (promjana)the state of being altered
- промененост (promenenost)the state of being altered
- промяна (promjana)the act of altering or making different
- изменение (izmenenie)the act of altering or making different
Catalan alteració, alteració
- alteracióthe state of being altered
- alteracióthe act of altering or making different
Chinese Mandarin 異動 /异动
- 異動 /异动 (yìdòng)the act of altering or making different
Danish forandring, omslag
- forandringthe state of being altered
- omslagthe state of being altered
- forandringthe act of altering or making different
- ændringthe act of altering or making different
Dutch verandering
- veranderingthe act of altering or making different
Esperanto ŝanĝiĝo
- ŝanĝiĝothe state of being altered
Finnish muutos, muutos
- muutosthe state of being altered
- muutosthe act of altering or making different
French altération, altération
- altérationthe state of being altered
- altérationthe act of altering or making different
- altérerthe act of altering or making different
German Änderung, Veränderung
- Änderungthe act of altering or making different
- Veränderungthe act of altering or making different
Indonesian alterasi
- alterasithe state of being altered
Italian alterazione, alterazione
- alterazionethe state of being altered
- alterazionethe act of altering or making different
Latin mutatio, alterātiō
- mutatiothe state of being altered
- alterātiōthe act of altering or making different
Māori panonitanga, whakarerekētanga
- panonitangathe act of altering or making different
- whakarerekētangathe act of altering or making different
Norwegian Bokmål forandring, omslag
- forandringthe state of being altered
- omslagthe state of being altered
- endringthe act of altering or making different
- forandringthe act of altering or making different
Polish modyfikacja, zmiana
- modyfikacjathe state of being altered
- zmianathe state of being altered
Portuguese alteração, alteração
- alteraçãothe state of being altered
- alteraçãothe act of altering or making different
Romanian alterație, alterare
- alterațiethe state of being altered
- alterarethe state of being altered
- alterarethe act of altering or making different
- modificarethe act of altering or making different
- schimbarethe act of altering or making different
Russian переду́мывание, измене́ние
- переду́мывание (peredúmyvanije)the state of being altered
- измене́ние (izmenénije)the act of altering or making different
- переде́лка (peredélka)the act of altering or making different
- переде́лывание (peredélyvanije)the act of altering or making different
- перестро́йка (perestrójka)the act of altering or making different
- преобразова́ние (preobrazovánije)the act of altering or making different
- переме́на (pereména)the act of altering or making different
Scottish Gaelic mùthadh, atharrachadh
- mùthadhthe act of altering or making different
- atharrachadhthe act of altering or making different
- caochladhthe act of altering or making different
Spanish alteración, alteración
- alteraciónthe state of being altered
- alteraciónthe act of altering or making different
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with alteration
Cite this entry
alteration. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alteration
“alteration.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alteration. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alteration,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alteration.
Source: alteration on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.