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desvirtuar

to distort

verb dehs-beer-TWAHR Rare
Communication Speech

Origin: From Latin de- + virtuare, from virtus (merit, virtue).

Also means

to undermine

Usage Note

Desvirtuar means to strip something of its essence or distort its original meaning or value: desvirtuar un argumento (to distort an argument), desvirtuar la ley (to undermine the law's intent). It is more formal than distorsionar and implies a gradual erosion of worth or authenticity. Conjugates like actuar (u → ú in stressed syllables).

Examples

"Sus comentarios desvirtuaron el sentido del texto."

Natural Translation

His comments distorted the meaning of the text.

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