Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Word of the Day - October 14, 2015


vitiate  /ˈvɪʃɪeɪt/
verb (formal)

Meaning:
1. to reduce the value or quality of; impair or spoil: 
"His famous compilation of norms was vitiated by a major sampling error"

2. to corrupt morally; debase: 
"My anxieties are great lest the numerous snares of vice should vitiate your early habits of virtue"

3. (of a contract or legal stipulation) to make ineffective; invalidate:
"The insurance is vitiated because of foolish acts on the part of the tenant"

Synonyms
blemish, darken, mar, poison, spoil, stain, tarnish, touch, taint, debase, impair, corrupt

Antonyms
doctor, fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair, revamp

Origin
Latin vitiatus, past participle of vitiare, from vitium fault, vice
First Use: 1534

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