Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Vitiate
Vi′ti-ate
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Vitiated
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Vitiating
.] [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.A will
vitiated
and growth out of love with the truth disposes the understanding to error and delusion. South.
Without care it may be used to
vitiate
our minds. Burke.
This undistinguishing complaisance will
vitiate
the taste of readers. Garth.
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 contractWebster 1828 Edition
Vitiate
VI'TIATE
,Verb.
T.
1.
To injure the substance or qualities of a thing, so as to impair or spoil its use and value. Thus we say, luxury vitiates the humors of the body; evil examples vitiate the morals of youth; language is vitiated by foreign idioms.This undistinguishing complaisance will vitiate the taste of readers.
2.
To render defective; to destroy; as the validity or binding force of an instrument or transaction. Any undue influence exerted on a jury vitiates their verdict. Fraud vitiates a contract.