adulterine

adjective

adul·​ter·​ine ə-ˈdəl-tə-ˌrīn How to pronounce adulterine (audio)
-ˌrēn
1
a
: marked by adulteration : spurious
b
2
: born of adultery

Examples of adulterine in a Sentence

adulterine fiction often portrays the illicit lovers sympathetically

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French adulterin, borrowed from Latin adulterīnus, from adulter adulterer + -īnus -ine entry 1

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of adulterine was in 1542

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Cite this Entry

“Adulterine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adulterine. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.

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