adul·ter·ate
ə-ˈdəl-tə-ˌrāt 
adulterated; adulterating
: to corrupt, debase, or make impure by the addition of a foreign or inferior substance or element
especially
: to prepare for sale by replacing more valuable with less valuable or inert ingredients
He was in the same plight as the manufacturer who has to adulterate and misrepresent his product. If he does not, some one else will. —
Upton Sinclair
Upton Sinclair
adul·ter·ate
ə-ˈdəl-t(ə-)rət
1
: being adulterated : spurious
2
: tainted with adultery : adulterous
… that incestuous, that adulterate beast …—William Shakespeare
William ShakespeareSynonyms
Examples of adulterate in a Sentence
Verb
The company is accused of adulterating its products with cheap additives.
the company was fined for adulterating its “all beef” frankfurters with cereal
Adjective
the pharmacist was convicted of selling adulterate drugs in order to maximize profits
caught red-handed in what he claimed was his first adulterate encounter
Recent Examples on the Web
Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2024
Additionally, some products might be adulterated or tainted with prescription-drug ingredients.15
14.
—Trang Tran, Pharmd, Verywell Health, 18 Oct. 2024
Prosecutors said 75% of the fentanyl given to patients at the clinic from June to October 2020 was adulterated by saline.
—Dave Collins, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2024
The practice of adulterating honey is well known, and historically adulterants such as ash and potato flour have been used.
—Daniel Matthews, Fortune Europe, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for adulterate 
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Verb
Hanson was initially charged on April 26 with only one count of adulterating or contaminating food, which under Kansas law is a criminal threat.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2024
Additionally, some products might be adulterated or tainted with prescription-drug ingredients.15
14.
—Trang Tran, Pharmd, Verywell Health, 18 Oct. 2024
Prosecutors said 75% of the fentanyl given to patients at the clinic from June to October 2020 was adulterated by saline.
—Dave Collins, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2024
The practice of adulterating honey is well known, and historically adulterants such as ash and potato flour have been used.
—Daniel Matthews, Fortune Europe, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for adulterate
Dictionary Entries Near adulterate
Cite this Entry
“Adulterate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adulterate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
adulterate
transitive verb
adul·ter·ate
ə-ˈdəl-tə-ˌrāt
adulterated; adulterating
: to corrupt, debase, or make impure by the addition of a foreign or inferior substance
especially
: to prepare for sale by replacing more valuable with less valuable or inert ingredients
Legal Definition
adulterate
transitive verb
adul·ter·ate
ə-ˈdəl-tə-ˌrāt
adulterated; adulterating
: to corrupt, debase, or make impure by the addition of a foreign or inferior substance or element
especially
: to prepare for sale by omitting a valuable ingredient or by replacing more valuable ingredients with less valuable or inert and usually harmful ingredients or with ingredients different from those claimed
Note: Under the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, a device such as a piece of medical equipment that is defective in some way is considered adulterated.
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