Adulteration
/əˌdʌl.təˈreɪ.ʃən/noun
The act of making something impure or of poorer quality by adding another substance.
Did you know?In ancient alchemy, the act of adulteration was considered a sin against the purity of the elements, equating it to spiritual corruption.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*al-
“to nourish or foster.”
Latin
Latin
adulterare
“to corrupt or make impure.”
Old French
Old French
adulterer
“to make impure or to adulterate.”
Middle English
Middle English
adulteracioun
“the action of corrupting or making something unclean.”
Modern English
English
adulteration
“the process of altering the purity of a substance.”