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

It contained several digital distortions, including a headless agent.

From Barron's

While currency depreciation and tariffs both discourage imports, a lower currency also boosts exports, without the uncertainty and distortions that tariffs entail.

From The Wall Street Journal

To describe this extreme distortion, the team introduced the term "hyperpyramidalized."

From Science Daily

The key to preventing such distortions is to “govern the party with strict discipline.”

From The Wall Street Journal

In its response to the criticism, West Midlands Police said it was "extremely sorry" for the errors, adding: "None of this was done with an intent of deliberate distortion or discrimination."

From BBC

Related Words

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