adulterine

adjective

adul·​ter·​ine ə-ˈdəl-tə-ˌrīn How to pronounce adulterine (audio)
-ˌrēn
1
a
: marked by adulteration : spurious
b
2
: born of adultery

Examples of adulterine in a Sentence

adulterine fiction often portrays the illicit lovers sympathetically

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French adulterin, borrowed from Latin adulterīnus, from adulter adulterer + -īnus -ine entry 1

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of adulterine was in 1542

Dictionary Entries Near adulterine

Cite this Entry

“Adulterine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adulterine. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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