alters; altered; altering
1
: to change (something)
Alcohol can alter a person's mood.
He altered his will to leave everything to his sister.
This one small event altered the course of history.
The place has altered in the 10 years since I left.
2
: to make a change to (a piece of clothing) so that it will fit better
I'll need to have/get the dress altered before the wedding.
3
US
: to remove the sex organs of (an animal) so that the animal is unable to reproduce
They had the puppies altered [=fixed] before they were sold.
Cite this Entry
“Alter.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/alter. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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