Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Alteration has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another
"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"
the act of making something different (as e.g. the size of a garment)
"She took the dress to the tailor for an alteration to make it fit better."
the act of revising or altering (involving reconsideration and modification)
"it would require a drastic revision of his opinion"
The act of altering or making different.
"The sudden alteration in the weather caught everyone off guard."
In plain English: An alteration is any change made to something so that it becomes different from how it was before.
"The alteration to my dress was completed in just two hours."
Usage: Use alteration to describe any change made to something, such as modifying the fit of clothing or adjusting plans. It is often confused with modification, but both terms are generally interchangeable in everyday contexts regarding changes.
The word alteration comes from the Old French alteracion, which was borrowed into English via Medieval Latin. It originally referred to a change or modification, derived directly from the verb meaning "to make different."