alteration

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noun al·ter·ation \ ˌȯl-tə-ˈrā-shən \

Definition of alteration

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

She made some alterations to her will.

See alteration defined for English-language learners

See alteration defined for kids

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 of alteration from the Web

Local landmark designation would require the property owner to receive a certificate of appropriateness for any alterations to the building's exterior.

— erin hegarty, Naperville Sun, "Historic Preservation Commission recommends landmark status for old Nichols Library," 23 Aug. 2017
Perhaps not the healthiest choice in the long-run, this landmark alteration prevented peanut butter from going rancid so soon and from sticking to the roof of your mouth.

— spoon u, Teen Vogue, "The History of Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches," 21 July 2017
In this case, people were able to locate the alterations in the image 56% of the time.

— giorgia guglielmi, Science | AAAS, "Can you tell whether this photo has been manipulated?," 17 July 2017
Altering an inventory program, for instance, might require subsequent alterations in a related supply program or changes in a program showing customers’ recent orders.

— harrison smith, Washington Post, "Charles Bachman, engineer who devised a better way to manage data, dies at 92," 16 July 2017
At he back of Schaeffers Garment Hotel is Gunner Foxx’s House of Hats, where third-generation haberdasher Gunner Foxx provides cleaning services as well as repairs and alterations (blocking, stretching, reshaping, resizing, and band replacement).

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best of LA: 92 of Our Favorite Things to Eat, Do, and Buy Right Now," 14 July 2017
IMUs are, in other words, adept at sensing alterations in motion and path, while being poor at registering speed or distance travelled.

— The Economist, "Amusement parksVirtual reality gives old fairground rides new purpose," 13 July 2017
Retaining the elegant square neckline, the dress underwent a major alteration.

— amy mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kate Middleton Wore a Dolce & Gabbana Polka Dot Dress to Wimbledon," 3 July 2017
The siblings changed their names to Leboyer — a French alteration of Levy — to avoid being captured by the occupying Nazis.

— harrison smith, Washington Post, "Frédérick Leboyer, whose light touch turned births into ‘nativities,’ dies at 98," 25 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alteration.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of alteration

see alter

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First Known Use: 14th century

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alteration Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

fixation, stabilization

ALTERATION Defined for English Language Learners

alteration

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noun

Definition of alteration for English Language Learners

: the act, process, or result of changing or altering something

ALTERATION Defined for Kids

alteration

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noun al·ter·ation \ ˌȯl-tə-ˈrā-shən \

Definition of alteration for Students

1 :the act or process of changing something

She began alteration of the design.

2 :the result of changing :modification

a minor alteration

Learn More about alteration

See words that rhyme with alteration Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for alteration Spanish Central: Translation of alteration Nglish: Translation of alteration for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of alteration for Arabic speakers

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Origin and Etymology of alteration

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ALTERATION Defined for English Language Learners

alteration

Definition of alteration for English Language Learners

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alteration

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