altered

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

Examples of altered in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Security camera footage showed Hill and the three others presenting merchandise not purchased at TJX stores to return with altered or duplicated receipts, according to court documents. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 10 July 2026

The altered version includes footage that zooms in on a figure that prosecutors said was Robinson and red marks that were added to the video. — Hannah Schoenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

Evidence also led officials to arrest an unnamed juvenile, who police say is facing charges of criminal use of an article with an altered identification mark and possession of a handgun by a person under 18. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 30 June 2026

Court records show he was also charged with failure to stop at a stop sign or flashing red light, failure to heed to a siren, a window tinting violation, and having a fake or altered tag or registration. — Charlotte Observer, 18 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of alter

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for altered

• unaltered
• faltered