Alteration

How to spell alteration

10 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce alteration

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does alteration mean?

1. nounA change made to something, or the act or process of changing it.
2. nounAn adjustment made to a garment so that it fits or suits better.

Alteration in a sentence

• The landlord refused to allow any alteration to the kitchen layout.

• The suit fitted well after a quick alteration at the waist.

• Even a small alteration to the contract requires both signatures.

• The bridal shop charges extra for each alteration to the dress.

Where does alteration come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb alterare, meaning 'to make different' or 'to change', which was itself built on alter, the plain Latin word for 'other' or 'the other of two'. The underlying idea is making something into something other than it was. English took the noun in through Old French alteration during the late 1300s, when it described a change in condition or quality. The same alter root sits inside several familiar relatives, including 'alternate', 'alternative', and the slightly disguised 'altercation', and it is the reason the word keeps its 'alter' spelling intact rather than collapsing to anything phonetic. Because the middle vowel is an unstressed schwa, writers sometimes hesitate over it, but remembering the visible word 'alter' inside keeps the spelling secure.

How the word is built

• alter (from Latin alter: other, to make other)
• -ation (noun of action)