subvert

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subvert¹

  • /səbˈvɜːt/ UK
  • /səbˈvɝt/ US

Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)t

Where it comes from

From Middle English subverten, from Old French subvertir, from Latin subvertō (“to overthrow”, literally “to underturn, turn from beneath”).

verb subverts · subverting · subverted

  1. transitive To overturn from the foundation; to overthrow; to ruin utterly. He […] razeth your cities, and subverts your towns.

    Similar: devastate, erase, wreck, destroy, annihilate, aerosolize, atomize, benothing, bewreck, blot out, blotto, dash

  2. transitive To pervert, as the mind, and turn it from the truth; to corrupt; to confound. The oppressive regime stays in power only as long as they manage to subvert the will of the people.

    Similar: corrupt, seduce, suborn, adulterate, debauch, demoralize, detort, file, immoralize, lead astray, pervert, pollute

  3. transitive To upturn convention from the foundation by undermining it (literally, to turn from beneath).

subvert²

  • /ˈsʌbvət/ UK
  • /ˈsʌbvɚt/ US

Rhymes with -ʌbvə(ɹ)t

Where it comes from

Back-formation from subvertising, by analogy with advert.

noun subverts

  1. An advertisement created by subvertising.

    Similar: subvertisement

Translations

Every language

verb to overthrow

Españolcontrariar
Portuguêssubverter
Françaisrenverser
Deutschstürzen, umstoßen
Русскийсверга́ть svergátʹ, ниспроверга́ть nisprovergátʹ

verb to pervert the mind

Españolsubvertir
Portuguêssubverter
Deutschkorrumpieren, zerrütten
Italianocorrompere
Русскийразвраща́ть razvraščátʹ, разруша́ть razrušátʹ

verb to upturn convention by undermining it

Españolsubvertir
Portuguêssubverter
Deutschuntergraben, unterlaufen
Русскийподрыва́ть podryvátʹ

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Cite this
MLA

"subvert." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/subvert. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

APA

subvert. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/subvert

Chicago

"subvert." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/subvert.

BibTeX
@misc{subvert_2026,
  title = {subvert},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/subvert},
  urldate = {2026-11-07}
}