adulterate

1 of 2

verb

adul·​ter·​ate ə-ˈdəl-tə-ˌrāt How to pronounce adulterate (audio)
adulterated; adulterating

transitive verb

: to corrupt, debase, or make impure by the addition of a foreign or inferior substance or element
especially : to prepare for sale by replacing more valuable with less valuable or inert ingredients
He was in the same plight as the manufacturer who has to adulterate and misrepresent his product. If he does not, some one else will. Upton Sinclair
adulterator noun

adulterate

2 of 2

adjective

adul·​ter·​ate ə-ˈdəl-t(ə-)rət How to pronounce adulterate (audio)
1
: being adulterated : spurious
2
: tainted with adultery : adulterous
… that incestuous, that adulterate beast …William Shakespeare

Examples of adulterate in a Sentence

Verb The company is accused of adulterating its products with cheap additives. the company was fined for adulterating its “all beef” frankfurters with cereal Adjective the pharmacist was convicted of selling adulterate drugs in order to maximize profits caught red-handed in what he claimed was his first adulterate encounter
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
People were using another drug like cocaine, which is adulterated with fentanyl. Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024 The policy change represented a shift after years of successful lobbying by the pharmaceutical industry, which said imports would expose U.S. patients to risks of counterfeit or adulterated drugs. Matthew Perrone, Fortune Well, 5 Jan. 2024 Some experts estimate that up to 70% of all U.S. honey is fake or adulterated in some way. Christina Manian, Rdn, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Oct. 2023 Nobody knew that this was being adulterated into our supply. Ashley Schwartz-Lavares, ABC News, 28 July 2023 And in several additional cases, inspectors repeatedly found expired and adulterated drugs on pharmacy shelves and filled prescriptions that gave patients the wrong instructions. Marty Schladen, The Enquirer, 11 July 2023 Researchers found that nearly 70% of private label avocado oil is rancid or adulterated. Good Housekeeping, 4 June 2023 The term originated with the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897, which was put into place to ensure the quality of whiskey at a time when it was often adulterated with unpleasant additives for flavor and color. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 12 June 2023 It has not been diluted, processed or adulterated in any way — a massive problem on the worldwide honey market. Nicole Haase, Journal Sentinel, 6 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'adulterate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed from Latin adulterātus, past participle of adulterāre "to defile by adultery, commit adultery with, mix with another substance, pollute," from ad- ad- + -alterāre, verbal derivative of alter "second, other" — more at alter

Adjective

borrowed from Latin adulterātus — more at adulterate entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1526, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

circa 1509, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of adulterate was circa 1509

Dictionary Entries Near adulterate

Cite this Entry

“Adulterate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adulterate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

adulterate

verb
adul·​ter·​ate
ə-ˈdəl-tə-ˌrāt
adulterated; adulterating
: to make impure or weaker by adding an unnecessary or lower-grade substance
especially : to prepare for sale by using in whole or in part a substance that reduces value or strength
adulteration
ə-ˌdəl-tə-ˈrā-shən
noun
adulterator
ə-ˈdəl-tə-ˌrāt-ər
noun
Etymology

Verb

from Latin adulterare "to make impure," from ad- "to" and alter "other" — related to alter

Medical Definition

adulterate

transitive verb
adul·​ter·​ate ə-ˈdəl-tə-ˌrāt How to pronounce adulterate (audio)
adulterated; adulterating
: to corrupt, debase, or make impure by the addition of a foreign or inferior substance
especially : to prepare for sale by replacing more valuable with less valuable or inert ingredients
adulterator noun

Legal Definition

adulterate

transitive verb
adul·​ter·​ate ə-ˈdəl-tə-ˌrāt How to pronounce adulterate (audio)
adulterated; adulterating
: to corrupt, debase, or make impure by the addition of a foreign or inferior substance or element
especially : to prepare for sale by omitting a valuable ingredient or by replacing more valuable ingredients with less valuable or inert and usually harmful ingredients or with ingredients different from those claimed

Note: Under the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, a device such as a piece of medical equipment that is defective in some way is considered adulterated.

adulteration noun
adulterator noun

More from Merriam-Webster on adulterate

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