# tainted

/ˈteɪntɪd/ (US) · /tˈeɪntɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/tainted
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 2. morally ruined

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

damaged in a way that makes people lose trust or respect, such as a reputation or a result.

For teachers: corrupted in a moral or ethical sense; used when a process or reputation is compromised by dishonesty.

- The athlete's victory was tainted by rumors that he had cheated during the race.
- The politician found it impossible to regain public trust after his career was tainted by the bribery scandal.

### 3. unreliable data

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describes information or evidence that cannot be trusted because it was handled badly.

For teachers: originating from an untrusted source or compromised during collection, rendering the data or evidence invalid.

- The judge ruled that the evidence was tainted because the police did not follow the correct rules.
- The entire dataset was considered tainted after researchers discovered that the sensors had been improperly calibrated for months.

Usage: Often used in legal contexts regarding evidence or in computing regarding data.

## Examples

- The scandal left his reputation tainted.
- The investigation revealed that the evidence was tainted by poor handling in the lab.
- The candidate's victory was tainted by allegations of voter suppression, leading to widespread calls for a recount and a formal inquiry into the election process.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.