adulterate
Corrupted or made impure by being mixed with something elseCorrupted or made impure by being mixed with something else; adulterated.
» You should not adulterate wine with water.
Meaning
2 senses(archaic, literary)Corrupted or made impure by being mixed with something else; adulterated.
(archaic, literary)Tending to commit adultery; relating to or being the product of adultery; adulterous.
- mixed with impurities
Examples
3 sentencesYou should not adulterate wine with water.
Wine, olive oil, and honey are frequently adulterated, faked, or counterfeited.
Languages should not be used, for that would adulterate their beauty. Rather, they should be cryogenically frozen and observed in silence.
Origin
From Latin adulterātus (“adulterate, adulterated, defiled, polluted, counterfeited”), perfFrom 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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Forms
more adulterate, most adulterate| Comparative | more adulterate Lesson |
|---|---|
| Superlative | most adulterate Lesson |
regular
Synonyms
2 synonyms- mixed with impurities:adulterateddebased
Word family
2 related wordsLessons for this word
2 lessons- A2Comparatives — Because it has a comparative form
- A2Superlatives — Because it has a superlative form