subvert

English

Etymology 1

(deprecated template usage)

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English subverten, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French subvertir, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin subvertō (“to overthrow”, literally “to underturn, turn from beneath”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /səbˈvɜːt/
• enPR: səbvûrtʹ, IPA^(key): /səbˈvɝt/
• 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.

   A dictator stays in power only as long as he manages to subvert the will of his people.

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

Derived terms

• subversion
• subversive

Translations

to overthrow

• Dutch: omverwerpen (nl)
• Finnish: kumota (fi), kukistaa (fi)
• French: renverser (fr)
• German: stürzen (de), umstoßen (de)
• Hungarian: megdönt (hu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Latin: subvertō
• Portuguese: subverter (pt)
• Russian: сверга́ть (ru) (svergátʹ), ниспроверга́ть (ru) (nisprovergátʹ)
• Spanish: contrariar (es)
• Swedish: omstörta, störta (sv)

to pervert the mind

• Dutch: corrumperen (nl)
• Finnish: tuhota (fi), horjuttaa
• German: korrumpieren (de), zerrütten (de)
• Italian: corrompere (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: subverter (pt)
• Russian: развраща́ть (ru) (razvraščátʹ), разруша́ть (ru) (razrušátʹ)
• Spanish: subvertir (es)

to upturn convention by undermining it

• Catalan: subvertir (ca)
• Dutch: ondergraven (nl)
• Finnish: mullistaa, kumota (fi)
• German: untergraben (de), unterlaufen (de)
• Latin: subvertō
• Portuguese: subverter (pt)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: подрыва́ть (ru) (podryvátʹ) (осно́вы)
• Serbo-Croatian: please add this translation if you can
• Slovene: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: subvertir (es)

Etymology 2

Back-formation from subvertising, by analogy with advert.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsʌbvɜːt/
• enPR: sŭbʹvûrt, IPA^(key): /ˈsʌbvɝt/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)t

Noun

subvert (plural subverts)

1. An advertisement created by subvertising.

Synonyms

• subvertisement

Translations

advertisement created by subvertising

• Dutch: protestreclame f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Finnish: vastamainos