The process or act of making something illegitimate, impure, or corrupted, especially in British English spelling.
From bastardise + -ation. The British spelling uses -ise (from Latin -isare), while American English uses -ize. The word evolved from the noun bastard to mean corrupting or debasing something of value.
This word reveals a fascinating split in English: British and American English literally spell the same concept differently because of competing historical influences from Latin (-isare) and Greek (-izein). It's still being 'fought over' by dictionaries today.
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