Adulterate — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb adjective /ə-ˈdəl-tə-ˌrāt/ (verb) /ə-ˈdəl-t(ə-)rət/ (adjective) adul·ter·ate

Meaning & Definition of Adulterate

Adulterate (verb)

  1. 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

Adulterate (adjective)

  1. being adulterated, spurious
  2. tainted with adultery, adulterous

Adulterate (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. containing foreign or lower-grade substances

    "the pharmacist was convicted of selling adulterate drugs in order to maximize profits"

    similar: adulterated, alloyed, contaminated, dilute, diluted, impure, polluted, tainted, thinned, weakened
    related: unclarified, unfiltered, unrefined, befouled, begrimed, bemired, besmirched, corrupted, debased, defiled, dirtied, fouled, maculate, soiled, spoiled, sullied, blended, commingled, incorporated, intermingled, intermixed, merged, mingled, mixed, coalesced, combined, compounded, cheapened, doctored
    opposite: fine, pure, ultrapure, unadulterated, unalloyed, uncontaminated, uncut, undiluted, unmixed, unpolluted, untainted
    near: clarified, filtered, purified, refined, ultrarefined, neat, plain, straight, concentrated, strong, uncombined, pasteurized, sterile, sterilized, clean, immaculate, spotless, stainless, unsoiled, unsullied

  2. relating to or being a sexual encounter or relationship between a married person and someone other than their spouse

    "caught red-handed in what he claimed was his first adulterate encounter"

    similar: adulterine, adulterous, extracurricular, extramarital, two-timing
    related: premarital, promiscuous

Adulterate (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances

    "the company was fined for adulterating its all beef frankfurters with cereal"

    similar: cut, dilute, extend, lace, sophisticate, thin, water down, weaken
    related: load, befoul, contaminate, corrupt, defile, dirty, envenom, foul, infect, poison, pollute, soil, spoil, sully, taint, cheapen, debase, degrade, manipulate, misrepresent, tamper (with), counterfeit, fake, falsify, fudge, doctor, spike, attenuate, moderate, qualify, temper
    opposite: enrich, fortify, richen, strengthen
    near: fertilize, lard, augment, reinforce, supplement, decontaminate, purify, clarify, clean, cleanse, distill, filter, flush, leach, pasteurize, purge, refine, better, enhance, improve, compact, concentrate, condense

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Adulterate

The most common words with a similar meaning to Adulterate:

adulterated, alloyed, contaminated, dilute, diluted, impure, polluted, tainted, thinned, weakened, adulterine, adulterous, extracurricular, extramarital, two-timing, cut, extend, lace, sophisticate, thin, water down, weaken

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Adulterate

Words with the opposite meaning of Adulterate:

fine, pure, ultrapure, unadulterated, unalloyed, uncontaminated, uncut, undiluted, unmixed, unpolluted, untainted, enrich, fortify, richen, strengthen

Related Words for Adulterate

unclarified, unfiltered, unrefined, befouled, begrimed, bemired, besmirched, corrupted, debased, defiled, dirtied, fouled, maculate, soiled, spoiled, sullied, blended, commingled, incorporated, intermingled, intermixed, merged, mingled, mixed, coalesced, combined, compounded, cheapened, doctored, premarital

Near Antonyms of Adulterate

clarified, filtered, purified, refined, ultrarefined, neat, plain, straight, concentrated, strong, uncombined, pasteurized, sterile, sterilized, clean, immaculate, spotless, stainless, unsoiled, unsullied, fertilize, lard, augment, reinforce, supplement, decontaminate, purify, clarify, cleanse, distill

Word Forms of Adulterate

Inflections: adulterated, adulterating

Derived words: adulterator (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Adulterate

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" alter

First known use: circa 1526

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Adulterate

Frequently Asked Questions about Adulterate

What does "Adulterate" mean?

"Adulterate" means 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. As an a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: 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. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Adulterate"?

Other words for "Adulterate" include adulterated, alloyed, contaminated, dilute, diluted, impure, polluted and tainted. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Adulterate" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Adulterate"?

There are 84 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Adulterate". Common alternatives include adulterated, alloyed, contaminated, dilute, diluted, impure, polluted, tainted, thinned and weakened.

What is the opposite of "Adulterate"?

Antonyms of "Adulterate" include fine, pure, ultrapure, unadulterated, unalloyed, uncontaminated, uncut and undiluted. Near antonyms include clarified, filtered, purified and refined.

How do you use "Adulterate" in a sentence?

Examples of "Adulterate" in a sentence: "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"; "the company was fined for adulterating its all beef frankfurters with cereal".

Is "Adulterate" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Adulterate" can be used as a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Adulterate" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Adulterate" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Adulterate"?

"Adulterate" is pronounced /ə-ˈdəl-tə-ˌrāt/ as a verb and /ə-ˈdəl-t(ə-)rət/ as an adjective and divided into syllables as adul·ter·ate.