adulteration

noun

adul·​ter·​a·​tion ə-ˌdəl-tə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce adulteration (audio)
1
: the process of adulterating : the condition of being adulterated
2
: an adulterated product

Examples of adulteration in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Because the industry is largely unregulated, there is a risk of contamination or adulteration. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 8 Sep. 2023 Developed to help trace patterns in adulteration, the database includes more than a thousand cases from 1980 to 2010 and records exactly what the foods were mixed with and how the adulteration was detected, along with links to the press reports and scientific papers on each case. Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 9 Apr. 2012 One of the most infamous cases of recent adulteration, in China in 2008, involved dairy products mixed with melamine . Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 9 Apr. 2012 Anesthesiologist Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz Jr., 59, faces federal charges of tampering with a consumer product causing death and intentional drug adulteration. Dallas News, 4 Oct. 2022 Did that count as adulteration or not? Benjamin R. Cohen, Wired, 8 Oct. 2020 McCarthy’s win will be a Pyrrhic victory, comparatively; any Republican victory is, at the moment, a loss for the nation and an adulteration of the integrity of the congressional body. Rich Logis, The New Republic, 12 Jan. 2023 Most of the adulteration doesn't seem immediately dangerous, merely fraudulent. Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 9 Apr. 2012 Ortiz was arrested on Sept. 14 and faces federal charges of tampering with a consumer product causing death and intentional drug adulteration. Chris Harris, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'adulteration.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French adulteracion, borrowed from Latin adulterātiōn-, adulterātiō, from adulterāre "to adulterate entry 1" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

1503, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of adulteration was in 1503

Dictionary Entries Near adulteration

Cite this Entry

“Adulteration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adulteration. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

Medical Definition

adulteration

noun
adul·​ter·​a·​tion ə-ˌdəl-tə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce adulteration (audio)
1
: the process of adulterating : the condition of being adulterated
2
: an adulterated product

More from Merriam-Webster on adulteration

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