adulterated

English

Etymology

The adjectival sense's relation to adultery is the common theme that corruption or pollution has occurred; more at adulterate ยง Etymology.

Adjective

adulterated (not comparable)

  1. Intentionally tainted with impurities (usually as motivated by cheapening the production of a food product or enhancing the psychotropic effects of a street drug).
    The problem of adulterated milk has periodically reemerged as a public health menace, from New York in the 1850s to China in 2008.
    Heroin is often adulterated with fentanyl.

Synonyms

Verb

adulterated

  1. simple past and past participle of adulterate
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