distortion
noun
dis·tor·tion
di-ˈstȯr-shən 
1
: the act of twisting or altering something out of its true, natural, or original state : the act of distorting
a distortion of the facts
2
: the quality or state of being distorted : a product of distorting: such as
a
physics
: a lack of proportionality in an image resulting from defects in the optical system
an image free of distortion
b
: falsified reproduction of an audio or video signal (see signal entry 1 sense 4b) caused by change in the wave form of the original signal
Examples of distortion in a Sentence
had to total the car due to a distortion of the chassis resulting from collision
Recent Examples on the Web
The suit cites the recent Supreme Court decision banning affirmative action and highlights civil rights cases in its argument, a new tactic many scholars have called a gross distortion of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
—
Bernhard Warner, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
Only in the sense that all art, in stitching the contours and distortions of experience, is identity art.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
However, activists concerned with animal rights, the environment, the rights of farmers, and human health are already working to ease the distortions of the subsidy system and align government subsidies with recommendations as to what constitutes a healthy, sustainable diet.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
But that history is tied up with racial myths and distortions, as former Massapequa High school hockey start Adam Drexler has argued.
—Jonathan Zimmerman, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distortion
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Bernhard Warner, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
Only in the sense that all art, in stitching the contours and distortions of experience, is identity art.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
However, activists concerned with animal rights, the environment, the rights of farmers, and human health are already working to ease the distortions of the subsidy system and align government subsidies with recommendations as to what constitutes a healthy, sustainable diet.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
But that history is tied up with racial myths and distortions, as former Massapequa High school hockey start Adam Drexler has argued.
—Jonathan Zimmerman, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distortion
Cite this Entry
“Distortion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distortion. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
distortion
noun
dis·tor·tion
dis-ˈtȯr-shən
1
: the act of distorting
2
: the condition of being distorted or a product of distortion
Medical Definition
distortion
noun
dis·tor·tion
dis-ˈtȯr-shən
1
: the censorship of unacceptable unconscious impulses so that they are unrecognizable to the ego in the manifest content of a dream
2
: a lack of correspondence of size or intensity in an image resulting from defects in an optical system
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