Meaning & use
alteration
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Meanings
nouncountable
A change made to something, usually small, to improve it or make it fit.
Grammar: Countable: make an alteration, a few alterations.
Patterns
- an alteration to something
- make alterations to something
The tailor made a quick alteration to the jacket.
We made some alterations to the original plan.
The building needs a few alterations before we move in.
noununcountableformal
The process of changing something.
Grammar: Uncountable, followed by of: the alteration of the document.
Patterns
- the alteration of something
Alteration of the contract requires both signatures.
The alteration of the land took centuries.
Unauthorized alteration of records is illegal.
Word forms
| plural | alterations |
|---|
Common combinations
- minor alteration
- Only a minor alteration was needed.
- make alterations
- We make alterations to clothing in the back shop.
- structural alteration
- Structural alteration requires official permission.
- alteration to
- There was a late alteration to the schedule.
- undergo alteration
- The design underwent alteration after feedback.
Synonyms and how they differ
- modification
- Modification suggests adjusting something to work better, and is slightly more technical than alteration.
- change
- Change is the everyday word for any difference, while alteration usually means a deliberate adjustment.
- adjustment
- Adjustment suggests a small change to fine-tune something.
- amendment
- Amendment is a formal change to a text such as a law or contract.
Opposites
Word family
- alter verb
- to change something, usually slightly
- alterable adjective
- able to be changed
- unaltered adjective
- not changed
- alternative noun
- another choice, from a related root
Commonly confused: alteration or altercation? alteration or alternation?
alteration vs altercation
An altercation is a noisy argument and is unrelated to making changes.
alteration vs alternation
Alternation means switching back and forth between two things, not making a change.
Practice
The dress was too long, so I took it to a tailor for an ___.
Choose one answer.
An alteration is a change to adjust the fit of clothing. Altercation is an argument, alternation is switching and alternative is another choice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “alteration”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.