# adulterate

> English word · Adjective · IPA /əˈdʌltəɹət/

## Definitions
1. Corrupted or made impure by being mixed with something else; adulterated.
2. Tending to commit adultery; relating to or being the product of adultery; adulterous.

## Etymology
From Latin adulterātus (“adulterate, adulterated, defiled, polluted, counterfeited”), perfect passive participle of adulterō (“to adulterate, defile, commit adultery (with), counterfeit”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ad- (“to, in the direction of”) + alter (“other”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix), literally “to go after someone else”. Equivalent to adultery + -ate.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/adulterate