STUDENT-LED VOCABULARY PRESENTATION EXAMPLE

1. ADULTERATE

2. Pronunciation
ə-ˈdəl-tə-ˌrāt
uh - DULL - turr - ate

3. Part of Speech
VERB
(action word)

4. Definition
to make something (such as a food
or drink) impure or weaker by adding
something of poor quality
Merriam Webster Dictionary

5. Synonyms
to pollute
to dilute
to corrupt

6. Antonyms
to purify
to cleanse
to enrich

7. Etymology
The word can be traced back to the 15th
century Latin word adulterare, which had
varied meanings, including to corrupt,
falsify; to debauch; and to commit adultery
Online Etymology Dictionary

8. Alternate Forms
adulteration (n.)
adulterated (adj.)
unadulterated (adj.)

9. Example 1
The environmentalists protested the
company for adulterating the community’s
water supply—the company’s factory was
secretly spewing toxic chemicals into a
local river.

10. Example 2
Many fans have complained that the use of
performance-enhancing drugs has
adulterated the game of baseball.

11. car exhaust adulterating the air

12. adulterated air (smog) in Beijing, China

13. How is this word useful?
Can be used when critiquing something that has been debased
• baseball adulterated by steroid use
• language adulterated by texting
Can be easily used when discussing environmental issues
• high levels of CO2 adulterating the atmosphere
• trash adulterated the once beautiful beach