Alterar

Alterar is a Portuguese verb meaning to change, modify, or adjust something from its current state. It is widely used in everyday language and across various fields, including law, science, and information technology. The verb is transitive and typically requires a direct object, as in alterar o horário (change the schedule), alterar os dados (modify the data), or alterar a configuração (change the configuration). It can also appear in reflexive form, alterar-se, to indicate a change of state or condition, for example, o clima pode alterar-se rapidamente (the weather can change quickly).

Etymology and related forms: Alterar derives from Latin alterare, from alter, meaning the other. This lineage links it to related Romance language terms with a similar sense of making something become the other. The noun alterar is its deverbal form meaning alteration or change.

Usage notes: In formal and written Portuguese, alterar is the common choice in contexts involving modification. In information technology, computing, and data management, alterar is standard for actions that modify data or settings. The noun form is alteração, referring to the act of changing, while related adjectives include alterável (modifiable) and alterado/alterada (altered).

Conjugation and morphology: Alterar is a regular -ar verb. Present indicative forms are: eu altero, tu alteras, ele/ela altera, nós alteramos, vós alterais, eles/elas alteram. Other standard forms include the infinitive alterar, the gerund alterando, and the past participle Alterado (altered).