ETYM Cf. French altération.
The act of making something different (as e.g. the size of a garment); SYN. modification, adjustment.

ETYM Latin distortio: cf. French distortion.
1. A change for the worse; SYN. deformation.
2. The act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean; SYN. overrefinement, straining, torture, twisting.
3. The mistake of misrepresenting the facts.