adulterate

CEFRC2

/əˈdʌltəɹeɪt/

verb · adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To make something less pure by adding a cheaper or harmful substance.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    Tending to commit adultery; relating to or being the product of adultery; adulterous.

Examples

  • to adulterate food, drink, drugs, coins, etc.

  • You should not adulterate wine with water.

At a glance

Sits at C2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • [-ˈdəl-]
  • /əˈdʌltəɹət/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings
  1. To corrupt, to debase (someone or something).

  2. To make less valuable or spoil (something) by adding impurities or other substances.

adjective

Extra meaning
  1. Corrupted or made impure by being mixed with something else; adulterated.

More examples

In context
  • to adulterate coins, drugs, food and drink, etc.

  • I am poſſeſt with an adulterate blot, / My bloud is mingled with the crime of luſt: [...]

  • Theſe, and other like places in abundance through all thoſe ſhort Epiſtles, muſt either be adulterat, or elſe Ignatius [of Antioch] was not Ignatius, nor a Martyr, but moſt adulterate, and corrupt himſelf.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The dishonest company tried to blank the olive oil by mixing it with cheaper vegetable oil.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

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.