adulterate

Meanings

1. 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. 2
   verb

   To corrupt or spoil something.

   Critics claimed the new edition adulterated the original text.

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.

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