{
    "term": "alter",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "academic": true,
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "alter",
            "heSheIt": "alters"
        },
        "pastSimple": "altered",
        "pastParticiple": "altered",
        "ingForm": "altering"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to become different; to make somebody/something different",
            "sensetop": "alter somebody/something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Prices have not altered significantly this year."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He had altered so much I scarcely recognized him."
                },
                {
                    "text": "His actions that day altered my perception of him.",
                    "contextForm": "alter somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The landscape has been **radically altered** by changes in the climate."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They have the power to fundamentally **alter the course of** history."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She didn't alter her behaviour in any way."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Nothing can alter the fact that we are to blame."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The recipe has been altered to suit American tastes."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Fame hasn't really altered her."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It doesn't alter the way I feel."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This incident altered the whole course of events."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The party's policies have hardly altered, but public opinion has."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This development will alter the character of the town."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This law needs to be altered."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["completely", "considerably", "dramatically"],
                "phrases": ["not alter the fact that"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to make changes to a piece of clothing so that it will fit you better",
            "sensetop": "alter something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We can have the dress altered to fit you."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɔːltə(r)/",
                "audio": "al/alter/alter__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɔːltəz/",
                "audio": "al/alter/alters__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɔːltəd/",
                "audio": "al/alter/altered__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɔːltərɪŋ/",
                "audio": "al/alter/altering__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɔːltər/",
                "audio": "al/alter/alter__us_4.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɔːltərz/",
                "audio": "al/alter/alters__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɔːltərd/",
                "audio": "al/alter/altered__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɔːltərɪŋ/",
                "audio": "al/alter/altering__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English: from Old French alterer, from late Latin alterare, from Latin alter ‘other’."
}