vitiate

[ vish-ee-eyt ]
/ ˈvɪʃ iˌeɪt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR vitiate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), vi·ti·at·ed, vi·ti·at·ing.

to impair the quality of; make faulty; spoil.
to impair or weaken the effectiveness of.
to debase; corrupt; pervert.
to make legally defective or invalid; invalidate: to vitiate a claim.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of vitiate

1525–35; < Latin vitiātus, past participle of vitiāre to spoil, derivative of vitium blemish, vice1 + -ātus -ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM vitiate

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH vitiate

ameliorate obviate vitiate

Words nearby vitiate

vitellogenic, vitellointestinal cyst, vitellus, viti levu, vitiable, vitiate, vitiation, viticetum, viticulture, vitiliginous, vitiligo
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to vitiate

negate, quash, annihilate, sully, defile, pervert, debase, invalidate, deny, annul, revoke, undo, abolish, nullify, abate, abrogate, recant, undermine, delete, harm

Example sentences from the Web for vitiate

British Dictionary definitions for vitiate

vitiate
/ (ˈvɪʃɪˌeɪt) /

verb (tr)

to make faulty or imperfect
to debase, pervert, or corrupt
to destroy the force or legal effect of (a deed, etc)to vitiate a contract

Derived forms of vitiate

vitiable, adjectivevitiation, nounvitiator, noun

Word Origin for vitiate

C16: from Latin vitiāre to injure, from vitium a fault
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