vitiate

[ vish-ee-eyt ]

verb (used with object)

, vi·ti·at·ed, vi·ti·at·ing.

1. to impair the quality of; make faulty; spoil.
2. to impair or weaken the effectiveness of.
3. to debase; corrupt; pervert.
4. to make legally defective or invalid; invalidate:

   to vitiate a claim.

vitiate

/ ˈvɪʃɪˌeɪt /

verb

1. to make faulty or imperfect
2. to debase, pervert, or corrupt
3. to destroy the force or legal effect of (a deed, etc)

   to vitiate a contract

Derived Forms

• ˈvitiˌator, noun
• ˈvitiable, adjective
• ˌvitiˈation, noun

Other Words From

• viti·ation noun
• viti·ator noun
• nonvi·ti·ation noun
• un·viti·ated adjective
• un·viti·ating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vitiate¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin vitiātus, past participle of vitiāre “to spoil, impair,” derivative of vitium “blemish, defect, fault” + -ātus; vice ¹, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of vitiate¹

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

Example Sentences

Then, feigning originalism in Dobbs, they vitiated Equal Protection, elevating the legal rights of zygotes over those of living, breathing women, citing 12th-century mores when men like Alito burned women like me at the stake.

From Salon

And, especially relevant to Edelman in this case: Is it vitiated by bad motives?

From New York Times

The seizure supposedly vitiated his argument for ownership, which was: If the cash is not my money, whose is it?

From Washington Post

PBS SoCal does not value its own programs by vitiating the viewer’s experience.

From Los Angeles Times

Giving that up, Professor Bale said, would vitiate the ideological rationale of her government and potentially turn her into a lame-duck leader until the next election, which she will have to call by early 2025.

From New York Times

Related Words

• debase
• defile
• pervert
• sully