c.1300 (trans.), "to turn someone aside from a right religious belief to a false or erroneous one," from O.Fr. pervertir, from L. pervertere "corrupt, turn the wrong way, turn about," from per- "away" + vertere "to turn" (see versus). The noun is 1661, from the verb. Replaced native froward, which embodies the same image. The noun is attested from 1661, "one who has forsaken a doctrine or system regarded as true, apostate;" psychological sense of "one who has a perversion of the sexual instinct" is attested from 1897 (Havelock Ellis), originally esp. of homosexuals. Perv, short for sexual pervert (n.), is first recorded 1944.
a person whose behavior deviates from what is acceptable especially in sexual behavior
verb
1.
corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; "debauch the young people with wine and women"; "Socrates was accused of corrupting young men"; "Do school counselors subvert young children?"; "corrupt the morals"
2.
practice sophistry; change the meaning of or be vague about in order to mislead or deceive; "Don't twist my words" [syn: twist]
3.
change the inherent purpose or function of something; "Don't abuse the system"; "The director of the factory misused the funds intended for the health care of his workers"
Con"vert\, n. 1. A person who is converted from one opinion or practice to another; a person who is won over to, or heartily embraces, a creed, religious system, or party, in which he has not previously believed; especially, one who turns from the controlling power of sin to that of holiness, or from unbelief to Christianity. The Jesuits did not persuade the converts to lay aside the use of images. --Bp. Stillingfleet. 2. A lay friar or brother, permitted to enter a monastery for the service of the house, but without orders, and not allowed to sing in the choir. Syn: Proselyte; neophyte. Usage: Convert, Proselyte, Pervert. A convert is one who turns from what he believes to have been a decided error of faith or practice. Such a change may relate to religion, politics, or other subjects. properly considered, it is not confined to speculation alone, but affects the whole current of one's feelings and the tenor of his actions. As such a change carries with it the appearance of sincerity, the term convert is usually taken in a good sense. Proselyte is a term of more ambiguous use and application. It was first applied to an adherent of one religious system who had transferred himself externally to some other religious system; and is also applied to one who makes a similar transfer in respect to systems of philosophy or speculation. The term has little or no reference to the state of the heart. Pervert is a term of recent origin, designed to express the contrary of convert, and to stigmatize a person as drawn off perverted from the true faith. It has been more particulary applied by members of the Church of England to those who have joined the Roman Catholic Church.
Per*verse"\, a. [L. perversus turned the wrong way, not right, p. p. of pervertereto turn around, to overturn: cf. F. pervers. See Pervert.]1. Turned aside; hence, specifically, turned away from the right; willfully erring; wicked; perverted. The only righteous in a word perverse. --Milton. 2. Obstinate in the wrong; stubborn; intractable; hence, wayward; vexing; contrary. To so perverse a sex all grace is vain. --Dryden. Syn: Froward; untoward; wayward; stubborn; ungovernable; intractable; cross; petulant; vexatious. Usage: Perverse, Froward. One who is froward is capricious, and reluctant to obey. One who is perverse has a settled obstinacy of will, and likes or dislikes by the rule of contradiction to the will of others.
Per*ver"sion\, n. [L. perversio: cf. F. perversion. See Pervert.] The act of perverting, or the state of being perverted; a turning from truth or right; a diverting from the true intent or object; a change to something worse; a turning or applying to a wrong end or use. "Violations and perversions of the laws." --Bacon.
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Audio Help [v. per-vurt; n. pur-vert] Pronunciation Key 
