verb
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to bring about the complete downfall or ruin of (something existing or established by a system of law, etc)
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to undermine the moral principles of (a person, etc); corrupt
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of subvert
1325–75; Middle English subverten < Latin subvertere to overthrow, equivalent to sub- sub- + vertere to turn
Explanation
When you subvert something, your words or actions criticize or undermine the usual way of doing something or common values. The girl who wears a tuxedo to the prom might subvert traditional ideas about beauty. To subvert an institution like a school or a government is to overthrow it or stop its normal way of functioning. Subvert comes from the Latin word subvertere, which combines the prefix sub, under, and the suffix vertere, to turn. So you can imagine something that subverts as overturning or flipping the usual way of doing things, like a student who subverts a teacher's authority, causing chaos in the classroom.
Vocabulary lists containing subvert
Educated
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Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "Beyond Vietnam" (1967)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Critics of the bills say they subvert the rights of local communities.
From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026
"The United States is under no obligation to admit or suffer the presence of individuals who subvert our laws and deny our citizens their constitutional rights," it added in a statement.
From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026
These simple facts subvert conventional financial wisdom, which says the only stock exposure you need is in the broad indexes.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 20, 2026
Even if, by some miracle, Good’s and Pretti’s killers are eventually brought to justice, their individual consequences do nothing to subvert ICE’s mandate of force wherever it appears.
From Slate • Jan. 29, 2026
Mother’s being a midwife would subvert the Medical Establishment, but in order to be a midwife she needed a phone.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
