distortion

[dih-stawr-shuhn]

noun

1. an act or instance of distorting.

2. the state of being distorted distorted or the relative degree or amount by which something is distorted distorted or distorts.

3. anything that is distorted, distorted, as a sound, image, fact, etc.

4. Optics.,  an aberration of a lens or system of lenses in which the magnification of the object varies with the lateral distance from the axis of the lens.

distortion

/ dɪˈstɔːʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of distorting or the state of being distorted

2. something that is distorted

3. an aberration of a lens or optical system in which the magnification varies with the lateral distance from the axis

4. electronics

   1. an undesired change in the shape of an electromagnetic wave or signal

   2. the result of such a change in waveform, esp a loss of clarity in radio reception or sound reproduction

5. psychol a change in perception so that it does not correspond to reality

6. psychoanal the disguising of the meaning of unconscious thoughts so that they may appear in consciousness, e.g. in dreams

Other Word Forms

• distortional adjective
• distortionary adjective
• nondistortion noun
• overdistortion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of distortion¹

First recorded in 1575–85, distortion is from the Latin word distortiōn- (stem of distortiō ). See distort, -ion

Example Sentences

He didn’t sense the initial fallout was “a big problem,” rather a “distortion on the part of some of the right-wing media networks,” he said.

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The commission could temporarily suspend its preferential tariff rates if it decides there is a distortion hurting the EU market.

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Still, the point is made: Truth is a malleable thing, prone to erasure and distortion, yet we need it more than ever.

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But acknowledging its patterns helps citizens and journalists resist its distortions.

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“They’re completely misrepresenting the work of the FCC and what we’ve been doing,” he said during a conference in New York, accusing Democrats of engaging in a “campaign of projection and distortion.”

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Related Words

• bias 
• exaggeration 
• lie 
• misinterpretation www.thesaurus.com
• misrepresentation 
• misstatement www.thesaurus.com
• misuse