vitiate

The word "vitiate" comes from the Latin verb "vitiāre," which means "to spoil" or "to impair." This Latin verb is derived from the noun "vitium," which means "fault" or "defect." The transition into English usage occurred around the 15th century, where "vitiate" maintained the meaning of spoiling or impairing the quality or efficiency of something. Over time, it has been used in legal and general contexts to describe the action of rendering something ineffective or void.