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Definition of adulterant

adulterant

/əˈdʌl.tə.ɹənt/
a · dul · ter · ant
Plural:adulterants
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adulterant Lexical Profile

adulterant Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

An inferior, foreign, or harmful substance added to food, drink, fuel, or other products, reducing their purity and quality.

Example

"Food safety regulators test olive oil to ensure it contains no cheaper vegetable oils used as an adulterant."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• adjective

1

Serving to debase, contaminate, or lower the purity and quality of a substance.

Example

"Inspectors detected adulterant chemicals in the imported batch of honey."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
View all antonyms for adulterant

• Nearby Words

adroitness
adulation
adult
adulterant
adulteration
adulterer
adulteress

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the mid-17th century from Latin adulterantem, the present participle of adulterare ('to corrupt, falsify, or pollute'), formed from ad- ('to') and alter ('other').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Adulterant. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/adulterant
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