Etymology From Old French alterer (French altérer), from Medieval Latin alterāre (“to make other”), from Latin alter (“the other”), from al- (seen in alius (“other”), alienus (“of another”), etc.; see alias, alien, etc.) + compar. suffix -ter.
1
Ambitransitive To change the form or structure of.
Near-synonym: tweak
No power in Venice can alter a decree.c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
3 more examples
Lou's not Times foole, though roſie lips and cheeks VVithin his bending ſickles compaſſe come, Loue alters not with his breefe houres and vveekes, But beares it out euen to the edge of doome: If this be error and vpon me proued, I neuer vvrit, nor no man euer loued.1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 116”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC, signature H, recto:
My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 89:34:
It gilds all objects, but it alters none.1711 May, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W[illiam] Lewis […]; and sold by W[illiam] Taylor […], T[homas] Osborn[e] […], and J[ohn] Graves […], →OCLC:
2
To become different.
[…] Passing the song of the hermit bird and the tallying song of my soul, / Victorious song, death’s outlet song, yet varying ever-altering song, […]1865, Walt Whitman, “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d”, in Sequel to Drum-Taps: When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d and other poems:
All of these statistics are expected to alter, however, as they are altering in nearly all demographic areas.1987 February 22, Elizabeth Pincus, “Fighting AIDS in Nashville Means Fighting Closets and Conservatism”, in Gay Community News, volume 14, number 31, page 1:
3
To tailor clothes to make them fit.
4
To castrate, neuter or spay (a dog or other animal).
5
To affect mentally, as by psychotropic drugs or illness.
We don't know if he was altered on alcohol or drugs or anything […]2016 February 10, Sydney Pruitt and Claire Ricke (quoting Jeff Barrick), "Police: Man lying in street hit, killed by Capital Metro bus", KXAN
Human sciences, Psychology, Sciences One of the personalities, identities, or selves in a person with dissociative identity disorder or another form of multiplicity.
While the second goal would be best met if each alter were coconscious, the defendant should be satisfied if at least one competent alter is present to hear what transpires.2000, Elyn R. Saks, Stephen H. Behnke, Jekyll on Trial: Multiple Personality Disorder and Criminal Law, page 147: