vitiate : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: vitiate	by the DICT Development Group
2 results for vitiate
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
vitiate v corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; "debauch the young people with wine and women"; "Socrates was accused of corrupting young men"; "Do school counselors subvert young children?"; "corrupt the morals" Synonym(s): corrupt, pervert, subvert, demoralize, demoralise, debauch, debase, profane, vitiate, deprave, misdirect make imperfect; "nothing marred her beauty" Synonym(s): mar, impair, spoil, deflower, vitiate take away the legal force of or render ineffective; "invalidate a contract" Synonym(s): invalidate, void, vitiate Antonym(s): validate
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Vitiate \Vi"tiate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Vitiated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Vitiating}.] [L. vitiatus, p. p. vitiare to vitiate, fr. vitium a fault, vice. See {Vice} a fault.] [Written also {viciate}.] 1. To make vicious, faulty, or imperfect; to render defective; to injure the substance or qualities of; to impair; to contaminate; to spoil; as, exaggeration vitiates a style of writing; sewer gas vitiates the air. A will vitiated and growth out of love with the truth disposes the understanding to error and delusion. --South. Without care it may be used to vitiate* our minds. --Burke. This undistinguishing complaisance will vitiate the taste of readers. --Garth. 2. To cause to fail of effect, either wholly or in part; to make void; to destroy, as the validity or binding force of an instrument or transaction; to annul; as, any undue influence exerted on a jury vitiates their verdict; fraud vitiates a contract.