Standard Lemma guide

alteration

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ɒl.tə(ɹ)ˈeɪ.ʃən/
  • US: /ɔl.tɚˈeɪ.ʃən/
  • cot-caught-merger: /ɑl.tɚˈeɪ.ʃən/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: AO2 L T ER0 EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of altering or making different.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of altering or making different.

A minor adjustment to clothing, such as hemming or shortening, to make it fit better.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The state of being altered; a change made in the form or nature of a thing; a changed condition.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The doctors don't see any alteration in the patient's condition.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

the act of making something different (as e.g. the size of a garment)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: modification, adjustment

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change

Narrower terms: loosening, laxation, tightening, accommodation, adaptation, tune

5

noun

Meaning 5

the act of revising or altering (involving reconsideration and modification)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it would require a drastic revision of his opinion

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: revision

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: transformation, translation

Narrower terms: distraction, misdirection, modulation, qualification, reorganization, transfiguration, metamorphosis

6

noun

Meaning 6

an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the change was intended to increase sales
  • this storm is certainly a change for the worse
  • the neighborhood had undergone few modifications since his last visit years ago

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: change, modification

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: happening, occurrence, occurrent, natural event

Narrower terms: acceleration, deceleration, slowing, retardation, avulsion, break, mutation, sublimation, surprise, birth, nativity, nascency, nascence, separation, breakup, detachment, vagary, variation, fluctuation, conversion, death, decease, expiry, decrease, lessening, drop-off, destabilization, increase, easing, moderation, relief, deformation, transition, transformation, transmutation, shift, twinkle, scintillation, sparkling, shimmer, play, damage, harm, impairment, development, revolution, genetic mutation, chromosomal mutation, sex change, loss of consciousness

History

Etymology

From Old French alteracion (French altération), from Medieval Latin alterātiō. Morphologically alter + -ation.

Across languages

Translations

64 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Amharic: ለውጥ (läwṭ) — the act of altering or making different
  • Arabic: تَغْيِيْر (taḡyiyr) — the act of altering or making different
  • Asturian: alteración — the act of altering or making different
  • Bashkir: үҙгәртеү (üźgərtew) — the act of altering or making different
  • Bulgarian: промяна (promjana) — the act of altering or making different
  • Bulgarian: изменение (izmenenie) — the act of altering or making different
  • Catalan: alteració — the act of altering or making different
  • Chinese Mandarin: 異動 /异动 (yìdòng) — the act of altering or making different
  • Danish: forandring — the act of altering or making different
  • Danish: ændring — the act of altering or making different
  • Dutch: verandering — the act of altering or making different
  • Finnish: muutos — the act of altering or making different
  • French: altération — the act of altering or making different
  • French: altérer — the act of altering or making different
  • Galician: alteración — the act of altering or making different
  • German: Änderung — the act of altering or making different
  • German: Veränderung — the act of altering or making different
  • Ancient Greek: ἐξαλλαγή (exallagḗ) — the act of altering or making different
  • Ido: altero — the act of altering or making different
  • Italian: alterazione — the act of altering or making different
  • Latin: alterātiō — the act of altering or making different
  • Macedonian: промена (promena) — the act of altering or making different
  • Māori: panonitanga — the act of altering or making different
  • Māori: whakarerekētanga — the act of altering or making different
  • Norwegian Bokmål: endring — the act of altering or making different
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forandring — the act of altering or making different
  • Odia: ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ (paribarttana) — the act of altering or making different
  • Portuguese: alteração — the act of altering or making different
  • Romanian: alterare — the act of altering or making different
  • Romanian: modificare — the act of altering or making different
  • Romanian: schimbare — the act of altering or making different
  • Russian: измене́ние (izmenénije) — the act of altering or making different
  • Russian: переде́лка (peredélka) — the act of altering or making different
  • Russian: переде́лывание (peredélyvanije) — the act of altering or making different
  • Russian: перестро́йка (perestrójka) — the act of altering or making different
  • Russian: преобразова́ние (preobrazovánije) — the act of altering or making different
  • Russian: переме́на (pereména) — the act of altering or making different
  • Scottish Gaelic: mùthadh — the act of altering or making different
  • Scottish Gaelic: atharrachadh — the act of altering or making different
  • Scottish Gaelic: caochladh — the act of altering or making different
  • Spanish: alteración — the act of altering or making different
  • Arabic: تَغَيُّر (taḡayyur) — the state of being altered
  • Bashkir: үҙгәреү (üźgərew) — the state of being altered
  • Bulgarian: промяна (promjana) — the state of being altered
  • Bulgarian: промененост (promenenost) — the state of being altered
  • Catalan: alteració — the state of being altered
  • Danish: forandring — the state of being altered
  • Danish: omslag — the state of being altered
  • Esperanto: ŝanĝiĝo — the state of being altered
  • Finnish: muutos — the state of being altered
  • French: altération — the state of being altered
  • Indonesian: alterasi — the state of being altered
  • Italian: alterazione — the state of being altered
  • Latin: mutatio — the state of being altered
  • Nepali: परिबर्तन (paribartan) — the state of being altered
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forandring — the state of being altered
  • Norwegian Bokmål: omslag — the state of being altered
  • Polish: modyfikacja — the state of being altered
  • Polish: zmiana — the state of being altered
  • Portuguese: alteração — the state of being altered
  • Romanian: alterație — the state of being altered
  • Romanian: alterare — the state of being altered
  • Russian: переду́мывание (peredúmyvanije) — the state of being altered
  • Spanish: alteración — the state of being altered
Real reading context

alteration in complete knowledge articles