distortion

American  

[dih-stawr-shuhn] / dɪˈstɔr ʃən /

noun

• distortions
  plural

1. an act or instance of distorting.

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

3. anything that is 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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• distortions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of distortion

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

Explanation

A distortion is a change, twist, or exaggeration that makes something appear different from the way it really is. You can distort an image, a thought, or even an idea. To say that I never take out the garbage is a distortion of the facts. The heat from the highway creates a distortion in the way objects in the distance appear: They wiggle and dance. The heat creates a wavy distortion in the air that shakes up the image of the things beyond it. Things are the way they are: to change them is to distort them or to create a distortion. Some guitar players prefer distortion: they plug their instrument into amps and pedals that twist and stretch the sound so much that you might not even recognize its source as a guitar.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

distortion distortions

Svallin says the distortion from comparing global earnings with the domestic economy runs both ways, so he made some nifty adjustments that include scaling companies by their share of U.S. revenue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

“When there’s no distortion, you turn it up and it’s just so clear. Pristine.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

Now consider Thomas’ distortion of the congressional scheme.

From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2026

When one strips back the politics, culture wars and centuries of institutional distortion surrounding Christianity, something unexpected emerges.

From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026

The identity of the distortion came to him slowly.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

It’s also necessary to limit distortions to private-sector behavior, since private capital and competitive incentives drive the kind of innovation and financial firepower the rest of the world envies.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

Like other national myths, this is all a mix of lies, truths and distortions of reality — and ideals and aspirations.

From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026

Heavy Treasury issuance creates distortions between government bonds and derivatives linked to them.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

That meant handheld cameras, flares, saturated colors, distortions, negative imagery and odd angles to reflect the growing sense of terror.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

We did everything we could to rise above their lies and distortions, trusting that the way Barack and I lived our lives would show people the truth about who we really were.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

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