Adulterated

Adulterated describes something that has been made impure by adding a substance of inferior quality or by removing a vital element. This typically applies to food, drink, or other consumer products, but can also extend to ideas, systems, or even data. The act of adulteration is often done to fraudulently increase profit margins by deceptively lowering the quality or concentration of a product, often posing a health risk to consumers. The end result is a product that's tainted, debased, or made less valuable than its intended pure form.

Adulterated meaning with examples

• The food safety inspector discovered that the honey being sold in the local market was heavily adulterated with corn syrup to increase the seller's profits. This was a clear violation of food safety regulations and endangered consumers. The adulterated honey offered no nutritional value in contrast to its pure counterpart.
• The coffee in the cafe was found to be adulterated, with less coffee and more chicory being added to reduce costs. Regular customers noticed a difference in the flavor, complaining the taste was bitter. Sadly, the proprietor admitted it was a tactic for financial savings which ultimately hurt his reputation.
• The historical document revealed a politically motivated attempt to adulterate the records by removing parts that went against the ruling powers. This altered record presented an inaccurate account of past events and misled future generations regarding important historical information.
• The software vendor was accused of distributing adulterated code containing hidden malware. This tainted software could compromise the user's system, allowing unauthorized access. The vendor was charged with endangering users and manipulating its product for harmful purposes.