altered

1 of 2

adjective

al·​tered ˈȯl-tərd 

1

: made different in some way

… she addressed me again, speaking in very altered tones; so altered, that I hardly recognised them as hers.

—Wilkie Collins

… no great change had taken place inside him, but his exterior was visibly altered.

—Booth Tarkington

2

: castrated sense 1a

I've noticed that my altered cats and my older cats have more dandruff than the unaltered and younger ones.

—Susie Page

altered

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of alter

Examples of altered in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Analysis of bone extracts identified heme B and an altered relative. — New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2026

Shortening This piecrust-making standby can turn rancid over time and develop an altered taste that can ruin foods. — Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2026

Scammers would return the cards to the original store and use computer programs to monitor when the altered cards are activated. — Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

Policymakers have been quick to react to the altered energy dynamics. — semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from past participle of alter

First Known Use

Adjective

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for altered

• unaltered
• faltered