subvert

English

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /səbˈvɜːt/, X-SAMPA: /s@b"v3:t/
• (US) enPR: səbvûrtʹ, IPA: /səbˈvɝt/, X-SAMPA: /s@b"v3`t/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)t

Verb

subvert (third-person singular simple present subverts, present participle subverting, simple past and past participle subverted)

1. (transitive) To overturn from the foundation; to overthrow; to ruin utterly.
   • Shakespeare

     He […] razeth your cities, and subverts your towns.

   • John Locke

     This would subvert the principles of all knowledge.

2. (transitive) To pervert, as the mind, and turn it from the truth; to corrupt; to confound.
3. (transitive) To upturn convention from the foundation by undermining it (literally, to turn from beneath).

Derived terms

• subversion
• subversive

Translations

overthrow

• Dutch: omverwerpen (nl)
• Finnish: kumota (fi), kukistaa (fi)
• French: renverser (fr)

• German: stürzen (de), umstoßen (de)
• Portuguese: subverter (pt)
• Russian: свергать (ru) (svergátʹ), ниспровергать (ru) (nisprovergátʹ)

corrupt

• Dutch: corrumperen (nl)
• German: korrumpieren (de), zerrütten (de)
• Italian: corrompere (it)

• Portuguese: subverter (pt)
• Russian: развращать (ru) (razvraščátʹ), разрушать (ru) (razrušátʹ)

upturn convention by undermining it

• Dutch: ondergraven (nl)
• German: untergraben (de), unterlaufen (de)
• Portuguese: subverter (pt)

• Russian: подрывать (ru) (podryvátʹ) (осно́вы)
• Serbo-Croatian: please add this translation if you can
• Slovene: please add this translation if you can

Etymology 2

Back-formation from subvertising, by analogy with advert.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈsʌbvɜːt/, X-SAMPA: /"sVbv3:t/
• (US) enPR: sŭbʹvûrt, IPA: /ˈsʌbvɝt/, X-SAMPA: /"sVbv3`t/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)t

Noun

subvert (plural subverts)

1. An advertisement created by subvertising.

Synonyms

• subvertisement

Translations

advertisement created by subvertising

• Dutch: protestreclame (nl) f