distortion

American  

[dih-stawr-shuhn] / dɪˈstɔr ʃən /

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.

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distortion British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of distortion

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

Example Sentences

The study suggests this distortion is caused by the planet's rapid rotation along with the large amount of material it drags through space.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

Kevin Warsh, nominated to lead the Fed, prioritizes shrinking its approximately $6.7 trillion balance sheet to reduce market distortion and central bank influence.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

The solution of indexing capital gains to inflation would correct this distortion by adjusting the original purchase price for inflation before calculating taxable gains, ensuring that only genuine appreciation beyond inflation is subject to taxation.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

Carr’s threat is a grotesque distortion of the FCC’s mandate.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

The Burr story required a distortion of Hamilton’s honorable intentions in order to justify Burr’s fatal response.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• bias
• exaggeration
• lie
• misinterpretation
• misrepresentation
• misstatement
• misuse