pervert

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /pɚˈvɝt/ UK /pəˈvɜːt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to distort or corrupt from the original or proper course

Bribery can pervert the course of justice.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to distort or corrupt from... distort corrupt twist debase warp misuse subvert deprave

Opposites

uphold preserve correct rectify

Word family

Derived forms pervertedperverterpervertible

Related forms perversion perverse perverseness

Simplified etymology

Pervert entered English in the late Middle English period and ultimately derives from Latin vertere, meaning “to turn.” Its early sense was “turn bad.”

Etymology

From Old French pervertir, from Latin pervertere ('to overturn, corrupt'), from per- ('thoroughly') + vertere ('to turn').

pervertere Latin vertere Latin *wert- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# pervert

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /pɚˈvɝt/
**IPA (UK):** /pəˈvɜːt/

## Meanings
1. to distort or corrupt from the original or proper course

## Examples
- Bribery can pervert the course of justice.

## Synonyms
- distort
- corrupt
- twist
- debase
- warp
- misuse
- subvert
- deprave

## Antonyms
- uphold
- preserve
- correct
- rectify

## Derived Forms
- perverted
- perverter
- pervertible

## Related Forms
- perversion
- perverse
- perverseness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: pervertere
- Root: vertere
- Root: *wert-

## Etymology
From Old French pervertir, from Latin pervertere ('to overturn, corrupt'), from per- ('thoroughly') + vertere ('to turn').

## AI Etymology
Pervert is from Old French pervertir, from Latin pervertere ('to overturn, corrupt'), from per- ('thoroughly') + vertere ('to turn'). Important recorded forms include pervertere (Latin), vertere (Latin), and *wert- (Proto-Indo-European). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers to distort or corrupt from the original or proper course. The wider family includes derived forms such as perverted, perverter, and pervertible and related words such as perversion, perverse, and perverseness.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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