vitiate
verb
William Styron
Did you know?
If you’re itching to find fault with the word vitiate, you don’t have to look far—the word comes ultimately from the Latin noun vitium, which refers to a fault, vice, shortcoming, or impediment to success or perfection. Accordingly, vitiate—like its fellow vitium-descended v-words vituperate ("to use harsh, condemning language"), vicious, and vice—has a negative bent. To vitiate something is, essentially, to mar or damage it in some way, whether by ruining or spoiling it ("a joke vitiated by poor timing"), corrupting it morally ("a mind vitiated by prejudice"), or rendering it null or ineffective ("fraud that vitiates a contract"). Despite its versatility, vitiate is most effective when used in formal speech and writing; that is to say, those who drop it into a construction like "a sandwich vitiated by too much peanut butter" may find themselves subject to some mild vituperation.
Synonyms
Examples of vitiate in a Sentence
Christopher Sabatini, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2024
His lawyers contend the case was tainted by violations of Trump’s constitutional rights and that the verdict is vitiated by the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling.
—Kristine Gill, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2024
His lawyers contend that the case was tainted by violations of Trump’s constitutional rights and that the verdict is vitiated by the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling.
—Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2024
His lawyers contend the case was tainted by violations of Trump's constitutional rights and that the verdict is vitiated by the Supreme Court's immunity ruling.
—CBS News, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for vitiate 
Dictionary Entries Near vitiate
Cite this Entry
“Vitiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vitiate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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vitiate
verb
Legal Definition
vitiate
transitive verb
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