perversion
/pəˈvəːʃ(ə)n
/noun [mass noun]
1Distortion or corruption of the original course, meaning, or state of something: the thing which most disturbed him was the perversion of language and truth [count noun]: a scandalous perversion of the law...
- Pure theory is too vulnerable to corruption and perversion at the hands of opportunists.
- Well, your Honours, the allegation was section 319 of the Crimes Act, perversion of the course of justice.
- When are the Chairman and governors of the BBC going to wake up their consciences and address this scandalous perversion of public service broadcasting?
Synonyms
distortion, misrepresentation, falsification, travesty, misinterpretation, misconstruction, twisting, corruption, subversion, misuse, misapplication, debasement
2Sexual behaviour that is considered abnormal and unacceptable: his book revolutionized ideas about sexual perversion [count noun]: he indulged in most perversions you could care to name...
- They have accused me of supporting the sin of sexual perversion.
- In the revised Code, only sexual perversion and venereal disease remained totally forbidden.
- It seemed to me royals were always in on some kind of scandal, partner swapping, infidelity, one sexual perversion after another.
Synonyms
deviance, deviancy, deviation;
unnaturalness, corruption, depravity, degeneracy, debauchery, vice, wickedness, immorality, aberration, abnormality, perversity, irregularity
informal kinkiness
Origin
Late Middle English: from Latin perversio(n-), from the verb pervertere 'turn about' (see pervert).