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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary sub·vert
\\səb-ˈvərt\\ transitive verb ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Anglo-French subvertir, from Latin subvertere, literally, to turn from beneath, from sub- + vertere to turn — more at worth DATE 14th century 1. to overturn or overthrow from the foundation : ruin 2. to pervert or corrupt by an undermining of morals, allegiance, or faith
• sub·vert·er noun subvert
late 14c., from M.Fr. subvertir, from L. subvertere, from sub "under" + vertere "to turn" (see versus). Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 subvertsub·vert / sEb5vE:t; NAmE -5vE:rt / verb ( formal) 1. [VN , V] to try to destroy the authority of a political, religious, etc. system by attacking it secretly or indirectly 颠覆；暗中破坏
SYN undermine 2. [VN] to try to destroy a person's belief in sth or sb 使背叛；使变节；策反
SYN undermine • sub·ver·sion / sEb5vE:Fn; NAmE -5vE:rVn / noun [U] Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged sub·vert
\səbˈvər]t, -və̄], -vəi] sometimes ˌsəbˈv- or chiefly in rapid speech _səˈv-; usu ]d.+V\ verbEtymology: Middle English subverten, from Middle French subvertir, from Old French, from Latin subvertere to turn upside down, overturn, overthrow, from sub- down, under + vertere to turn — more at worth transitive verb1. : to overturn or overthrow from or as if from a foundation : ruin utterly : raze , demolish
< who … labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness — George Washington >2. : to pervert or corrupt (a person) by an undermining of morals, allegiance, or faith : alienate
< propaganda that subverts foreign-born citizens >3.
a. : to bring to nothing, destroy, or greatly impair the existence, sovereignty, influence, wholeness of especially by insidious undermining
< tear down our free institutions and subvert our form of government into a tyranny — New Republic >
b. : to make invalid or futile : confute , defeat
< amorous sweet things, enough to make one fancy the adage subverted that stolen fruits are sweetest — George Meredith >intransitive verb: to overthrow something completely : destroy , overturn
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