adulterate

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /əˈdʌltəɹət/ UK /əˈdʌltəɹət/ See IPA manual

Freq #112992

Meanings

1

verb
To make something weaker or lower in quality by adding another substance.

The merchant was caught adulterating the olive oil with cheaper oils.
2

verb
To corrupt or spoil something.

Critics claimed the new edition adulterated the original text.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make something weaker or... debase dilute sophisticate

2 verb · to corrupt or spoil something. corrupt debase pervert pollute

More abase adulteradulterizealloy balderdash bastardize dashembase

Opposites

enrich rectify refine

Word family

Forms adulteratedadulteratesadulterating

Derived forms adulteratenessadulteratorunadulterate

Related forms adulter adulterantadulteratedadulteratelyadulteratingadulteration adulteratoradulteredadultereradulteressadulterineadultering

Etymology

From Latin adulterātus (“adulterate, adulterated, defiled, polluted, counterfeited”), perfect passive participle of adulterō (“to adulterate, defile, commit adultery (with), counterfeit”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ad- (“to, in the direction of”) + alter (“other”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix), literally “to go after someone else”. Equivalent to adultery + -ate.

*h₂el- (other) Proto-Indo-European adulterātus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# adulterate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /əˈdʌltəɹət/
**IPA (UK):** /əˈdʌltəɹət/
**Frequency rank:** 112992

## Meanings
1. To make something weaker or lower in quality by adding another substance.
2. To corrupt or spoil something.

## Examples
- The merchant was caught adulterating the olive oil with cheaper oils.
- Critics claimed the new edition adulterated the original text.

## Synonyms
- abase
- adulter
- adulterize
- alloy
- balderdash
- bastardize
- corrupt
- dash
- dilute
- embase
- sophisticate

## Antonyms
- enrich
- rectify
- refine

## Derived Forms
- adulterateness
- adulterator
- unadulterate

## Related Forms
- adulter
- adulterant
- adulterated
- adulterately
- adulterating
- adulteration
- adulterator
- adultered
- adulterer
- adulteress
- adulterine
- adultering

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₂el- (other)
- Root: adulterātus

## Etymology
From Latin adulterātus (“adulterate, adulterated, defiled, polluted, counterfeited”), perfect passive participle of adulterō (“to adulterate, defile, commit adultery (with), counterfeit”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ad- (“to, in the direction of”) + alter (“other”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix), literally “to go after someone else”. Equivalent to adultery + -ate.

## AI Etymology
Adulterate is from Latin adulterātus (“adulterate, adulterated, defiled, polluted, counterfeited”), perfect passive participle of adulterō (“to adulterate, defile, commit adultery (with), counterfeit”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ad- (“to, in the direction of”) + alter (“other”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix), literally “to go after someone else”. Equivalent to adultery + -ate. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include *h₂el- (other) (Proto-Indo-European) and adulterātus (Latin). Current senses include to make something weaker or lower in quality by adding another substance and to corrupt or spoil something. The wider family includes derived forms such as adulterateness, adulterator, and unadulterate and related words such as adulter, adulterant, adulterated, adulterately, and adulterating.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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adulterate

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