pervert meaning (dated): definition, etymology and quotations

pervert

noun

UK /ˈpəː.vəːt/ · US /ˈpɚ.vɚt/

Etymology From Old French pervertir, itself from the Latin pervertō.

Dated One who has been perverted; one who has turned to error, or adopted a twisted sense of values or morals.

And yet it is not only tolerated, but perverts are making to it in England and this country, — perverts among the intelligent and the learned. For these things, which I have quoted, are not accusations made in a corner, but have been published in the face of the world by one of the profoundest theologians of the day, and challenge confutation.1867, Stephen Elliott, Sermons, page 382:
[…] a religious pervert is ever a doubtful product. One separated from the fellows of his youth and the faith of his fathers, by acceptance of a different religion, is of necessity more or less adrift on the sea of life […]1925, The Dalhousie Review, volume 5, page 115:

1 more example

According to the Holy Qur'an, those who cast off God's signs and follow Satan and their caprice are perverts; they are likened to dogs […]2001, Ismāʻīl Salāmī, Islamic Views on Human Rights: Viewpoints of Iranian Scholars, page 128:

A person whose sexual habits are not considered acceptable.

Those perverts were trying to spy on us while we changed clothes!
I know more damn perverts, at schools and all, than anybody you ever met, and they're always being perverty when I'm around.1951 July 16, J[erome] D[avid] Salinger, chapter 24, in The Catcher in the Rye, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown and Company, →OCLC:

verb

UK /pəˈvəːt/ · US /pɚˈvɚt/

Etymology From Old French pervertir, itself from the Latin pervertō.

To turn another way; to divert.

Let's follow him, and pervert the present wrath.1623, William Shakespeare, Cymbeline:

To corrupt; to cause to be untrue; corrupted or otherwise impure

How could stopping someone from killing himself or herself "pervert the course of justice"?
He, in the serpent, had perverted Eve.1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost:

2 more examples

He was a good Proteſtant, but when he fell into the Jeſuits hands, they ſoon perverted him, and made him embrace the Roman Catholick Religion […]1690, “The Preface to the Reader”, in A Full and True Relation of the Great and Wonderful Revolution That Hapned Lately in the Kingdom of Siam in the East-Indies, London: Randal Taylor, page vi:
A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: "We can confirm that a 15-year-old boy has been arrested and charged in connection with the murder of Jodi Jones. A 45-year-old has also been arrested in connection with allegations of attempting to pervert the course of justice. A report on this has been sent to the procurator fiscal."2004 April 15, “Morning swoop in hunt for Jodi's killer”, in The Scotsman:

To misapply, misuse, use for a nefarious purpose

to misinterpret designedly.

To become perverted; to take the wrong course.

After that worde, "better is it to dey than lyve false," and al wolde perverted people false reporte makec. 1384, Thomas Usk, The Testament of Love:

Synonyms: adulterate, corrupt, debauch, demoralize, detort, file, immoralize, lead astray, pervert, pollute, preposterate, seduce, sophisticate, suborn, subvert, tamper, unmoralize, vitiate, warp
Antonyms: fortify, moralize, purify, rectify, reform, set aright, spiritualize, straighten out, unpervert
Derived terms: pervertable, perverter, pervertible, unpervert
Related terms: perverse, perversion, desecrate
Hypernyms: aggravate, debase, impurify, influence, mislead, spoil
Hyponyms: bribe, buy off, nobble, pay off