distortion

[ dih-stawr-shuhn ]

/ dɪˈstɔr ʃən /

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See synonyms for: distortion / distortions on Thesaurus.com

noun

an act or instance of distorting.

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

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

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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Compare barrel distortion, pincushion distortion.

Origin of distortion

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

OTHER WORDS FROM distortion

dis·tor·tion·al, dis·tor·tion·ar·y, adjectivenon·dis·tor·tion, nouno·ver·dis·tor·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use distortion in a sentence

The distortions are most common in people who are recovering from covid-19 and starting to get their smell back, according to Justin Turner, medical director of Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Smell and Taste Center.
The covid-19 symptoms to watch out for|Angela Fritz|December 2, 2020|Washington Post
Dynamic drivers are found frequently in over-ear wireless headphones because they sound great up to a certain volume at which distortion can occur, but there is a good chance you won’t need to blast your music loud enough to get to that point.
Best wireless headphones: Five things to consider|Carsen Joenk|November 25, 2020|Popular-Science
Facebook groups for those with covid-related smell loss and distortions now have thousands of members.
When coffee smells like gasoline: Covid isn’t just stealing senses — it may be warping them|Allyson Chiu|November 5, 2020|Washington Post
Serotonin has a strong effect on mood, but researchers aren’t yet sure why psilocin’s attachment to its receptors can cause effects like heightened emotion, distortions in perception, and hallucinations.
Oregon just voted to legalize magic mushrooms. Here’s what that actually means.|Rachel Feltman|November 5, 2020|Popular-Science

The advantage of tax neutrality between people and AI is that it permits the marketplace to adjust without tax distortions.
It’s time to rethink the legal treatment of robots|Emily Luong|October 22, 2020|MIT Technology Review

British Dictionary definitions for distortion

distortion

/ (dɪˈstɔːʃən) /

noun

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

something that is distorted

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

electronics

an undesired change in the shape of an electromagnetic wave or signal
the result of such a change in waveform, esp a loss of clarity in radio reception or sound reproduction

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

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

Derived forms of distortion

distortional, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

distortion

Origin of distortion

OTHER WORDS FROM distortion

Words related to distortion

How to use distortion in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for distortion

Derived forms of distortion