: altered from a pure state or condition: such as
a
: contaminated by or as if by dirt, impurities, or harmful organisms
tainted food
Nearby residents typically want every shovelful of tainted soil dug up and shipped far, far away.—Gregg Easterbrook
… federal health authorities identified an organic produce company … as a possible source of some of the tainted spinach.—Julia Preston et al.
Viruses are often passed along to other computers via tainted files …—J. D. Biersdorfer
b
: corrupted morally or ethically
a tainted victory
c
: damaged or spoiled by alteration from a correct or original state or form
tainted evidence
tainted testimony
tainted
2 of 2past tense and past participle of taint entry 1
Cite this Entry
“Tainted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tainted. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.
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