distortion
UK: dɪˈstɔːʃən | US: dɪˈstɔːrʃən
n. the act of twisting or altering something out of its natural or original shape
n. a misrepresentation of the truth or facts
n. (physics/electronics) an undesired change in the waveform of a signal
distortion = dis<apart> + tort<twist> + ion<noun suffix>
- dis: Latin prefix meaning "apart" or "away," indicating separation or reversal.
- tort: From Latin tortus (past participle of torquere), meaning "to twist."
- ion: Suffix forming nouns denoting action or condition.
Etymology Origin:
The word traces back to Latin distortio, derived from dis- (apart) + torquere (to twist). It originally described physical twisting (e.g., wrenching limbs) but expanded metaphorically to include falsification (16th century) and technical signal alteration (20th century). The core logic—twisting away from truth/form—remains consistent.
The funhouse mirror created a humorous distortion of her reflection.
His speech was a distortion of historical events.
Audio engineers minimized distortion in the recording.
The artist used distortion to evoke emotional tension.
Political ads often rely on subtle distortions of facts.