Vitiate

Vitiate
Vitiate Vi"ti*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Vitiated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Vitiating}.] [L. vitiatus, p. p. vitiare to vitiate, fr. vitium a fault, vice. See {Vice} a fault.] [Written also {viciate}.] 1. To make vicious, faulty, or imperfect; to render defective; to injure the substance or qualities of; to impair; to contaminate; to spoil; as, exaggeration vitiates a style of writing; sewer gas vitiates the air. [1913 Webster]

A will vitiated and growth out of love with the truth disposes the understanding to error and delusion. --South. [1913 Webster]

Without care it may be used to vitiate our minds. --Burke. [1913 Webster]

This undistinguishing complaisance will vitiate the taste of readers. --Garth. [1913 Webster]

2. To cause to fail of effect, either wholly or in part; to make void; to destroy, as the validity or binding force of an instrument or transaction; to annul; as, any undue influence exerted on a jury vitiates their verdict; fraud vitiates a contract. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • vitiate — vi·ti·ate / vi shē ˌāt/ vt at·ed, at·ing: to make ineffective fraud vitiate s a contract Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 …   Law dictionary

  • vitiate — [v1] cancel abate, abolish, abrogate, annihilate, annul, delete, deny, invalidate, negate, nullify, quash, recant, revoke, undermine, undo; concepts 121,317 Ant. schedule, set up vitiate [v2] hurt, corrupt blemish, blight, brutalize, contaminate …   New thesaurus

  • vitiate — [vish′ē āt΄] vt. vitiated, vitiating [< L vitiatus, pp. of vitiare, to vitiate < vitium,VICE1] 1. to make imperfect, faulty, or impure; spoil; corrupt 2. to weaken morally; debase; pervert 3. to make (a contract, or other legal instrument)… …   English World dictionary

  • vitiate — (v.) 1530s, from L. vitiatus, pp. of vitiare to make faulty, injure, spoil, corrupt, from vitium fault, defect, blemish, crime, vice (see VICE (Cf. vice) (1)). Related: Vitiated; vitiating …   Etymology dictionary

  • vitiate — *debase, deprave, corrupt, pervert, debauch Analogous words: pollute, defile, taint, *contaminate: degrade, demean, *abase: impair, spoil, *injure, damage: annul, invalidate, *nullify …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • vitiate — ► VERB formal 1) spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of. 2) destroy or impair the legal validity of. ORIGIN Latin vitiare impair …   English terms dictionary

  • vitiate — UK [ˈvɪʃɪeɪt] / US [ˈvɪʃɪˌeɪt] verb [transitive] Word forms vitiate : present tense I/you/we/they vitiate he/she/it vitiates present participle vitiating past tense vitiated past participle vitiated very formal to make something less effective or …   English dictionary

  • vitiate — vitiation, n. vitiator, n. /vish ee ayt /, v.t., vitiated, vitiating. 1. to impair the quality of; make faulty; spoil. 2. to impair or weaken the effectiveness of. 3. to debase; corrupt; pervert. 4. to make legally defective or invalid;… …   Universalium

  • vitiate — [[t]vɪ̱ʃieɪt[/t]] vitiates, vitiating, vitiated VERB If something is vitiated, its effectiveness is spoiled or weakened. [FORMAL] [be V ed] Strategic policy during the War was vitiated because of a sharp division between easterners and westerners …   English dictionary

  • vitiate — vi•ti•ate [[t]ˈvɪʃ iˌeɪt[/t]] v. t. at•ed, at•ing 1) to impair the quality of; make faulty; spoil 2) to impair or weaken the effectiveness of 3) to debase; corrupt; pervert 4) law to make legally invalid; invalidate: to vitiate a claim[/ex] •… …   From formal English to slang

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