subvert

subvert

English

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /səbˈvɜːt/
• (US) 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)

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)

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) Portuguese: subverter (pt)

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

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsʌbvɜːt/
• (US) 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

Finnish: vastamainos