Adulteration Meaning and Definition

Adulteration

Adulteration

Pronunciation

/ˌædʊltəˈreɪʃən/

Part of Speech

Noun

Definition

The act of making something impure or of poor quality by adding something unwanted or harmful; corruption or debasement.

Examples

  • The company was accused of adulteration of their products.
  • The government imposed strict regulations to prevent adulteration of food and drugs.

Synonyms

  • Pollution
  • Tainting

Antonyms

  • Purification
  • Refinement

Etymology

The word ‘Adulteration’ comes from the Latin words ‘adultere’, meaning “to mix” or “to corrupt”, and the suffix ‘-ation’, indicating a process or action.

Usage Notes

The word ‘Adulteration’ is often used in the context of food, medicine, and chemistry, where the purity and quality of a substance or product are crucial.

Cultural References

In popular culture, the term ‘Adulteration’ was featured in the 2015 novel “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” by Stieg Larsson, where it was used to describe the corruption of information.

Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases

The phrase “adulteration of the truth” is often used to describe the distortion or manipulation of facts.

Related Words or Phrases

Words and phrases closely related to ‘Adulteration’ include ‘corruption’, ‘tainting’, ‘pollution’, and ‘defilement’.

Collocations

Common collocations of ‘Adulteration’ include ‘food adulteration’, ‘water adulteration’, and ‘chemical adulteration’.

Frequency of Use

The word ‘Adulteration’ is not as commonly used as other words related to corruption or pollution, but it is still an important term in various fields and industries.

Common Misspellings

Common misspellings of ‘Adulteration’ include ‘Adultereation’, ‘Adulteretion’, and ‘Adulpation’.

Related Words