Meaning

(transitive) To spoil, make faulty; to reduce the value, quality, or effectiveness of something..

Definitions by Sense

1. (transitive) To spoil, make faulty; to reduce the value, quality, or effectiveness of something.
2. (transitive) To debase or morally corrupt.
3. (transitive, archaic) To violate, to rape.
4. (transitive) To make something ineffective, to invalidate.

Example Sentences

The least admixture of a lie, -- for example, the taint of vanity, the least attempt to make a good impression, a favorable appearance, -- will instantly vitiate the effect.

Such diversion as Podson could extort from his isolation was soon vitiated by repetition. He surfed. He sun-baked - with discretion till his skin had peeled and given him a harder cuticle.

‘Mr Rose,’ says the Physician, ‘this man was brought to us from Russia. Precisely such a case of vitiated judgment as I describe at length in my Treatise on Madness. Mayhap you have read it?’

Unfortunately, as Anderson and Sørenson (1996) and Bowsher (2002) document, instrument proliferation can vitiate the test.

We have examined with care all known negative feedback mechanisms, such as increase in low or middle cloud amount, and have concluded that the oversimplifications and inaccuracies in the models are not likely to have vitiated the principal conclusions that there will be appreciable warming.

Dissolute and vitiated alike, they confided in, and ever acted in mutual concert with each other's plans, according to the deep subtleties of their reasonings, which linked them together by some secret spell.

There was excellent blood in his veins—royal stuff; though sadly vitiated, I fear, by the cannibal propensity he nourished in his untutored youth.

The robber does not intentionally vitiate people, but the governments, to accomplish their ends, vitiate whole generations from childhood to manhood with false religions and patriotic instruction.

Word Forms

• vitiates
• vitiating
• vitiated
• viciate

Synonyms for vitiate

Antonyms for vitiate

Related Words

When Should You Use Vitiate?

Use vitiate when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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