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vitiate

Syllabification: (vi·ti·ate)
Pronunciation: /ˈviSHēˌāt/
Definition of vitiate

verb

[with object] formal
  • spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of:development programs have been vitiated by the rise in population
  • destroy or impair the legal validity of.

Derivatives

vitiation

Pronunciation: /ˌviSHēˈāSHən/
noun

vitiator

Pronunciation: /-ˌātər/
noun

Origin:

mid 16th century: from Latin vitiat- 'impaired', from the verb vitiare, from vitium (see vice1)

vitiate in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of vitiate in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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