deprave
|de-prave|
C2
/dɪˈpreɪv/
corrupting influence
Etymology
Etymology Information
'deprave' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'depravare', where 'de-' meant 'away' and 'pravus' meant 'crooked, perverse'.
Historical Evolution
'depravare' passed into Medieval/early Modern French and Late Latin usage (as forms like 'depraver') and was borrowed into English as 'deprave' in the 16th–17th centuries.
Meaning Changes
Initially it meant 'to turn aside or make perverse' (literally 'lead away from the right'), and over time it narrowed to the modern sense 'to corrupt morally; make depraved.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to make morally bad or corrupt; to pervert the moral character of.
Unchecked power may deprave those who wield it.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/02 07:41