alterated

Alterated is a rarely used or nonstandard form of the verb alter, and it can also be encountered as an archaic-sounding adjective meaning changed. In modern English, the standard past participle and past tense of alter is altered, and altered is overwhelmingly preferred in both everyday and technical writing.

Etymology and status: The base verb alter comes from Latin alterare. The form alterated appears in some older or regional writings as a byproduct of spelling patterns that added an -ated ending to verbs. Today, most dictionaries classify alterated as obsolete, dialectal, or nonstandard, and it is not taught as a normal variant in contemporary usage.

Usage: When expressing that something has been changed, the correct and widely accepted form is altered (for example, “the document was altered”). The form alterated should generally be avoided in formal writing. In rare cases, authors may deliberately use alterated for stylistic or archaic effect, but such usage is not standard and can distract readers.

Relation to related terms: The noun form is alteration, referring to the act or process of changing. The present participle is altering. The semantically closest standard form is the set: alter, altered, alteration, altering.

See also: Alter, Alteration, Altered, Altering.