Example: Il est dangereux de détourner la vérité dans un débat sérieux.
Definition
"Détourner" means to deliberately change or twist the meaning or intention of something, often in a way that misleads or manipulates, such as altering the truth in a serious debate to deceive others or shift the argument unfairly.
Translations
to distort
desviar
verdraaien
desviar
verfälschen
Etymology
The French word "détourner" comes from the Old French 'detourner', meaning 'to turn aside' or 'to divert'. It combines 'de-' (away) and 'tourner' (to turn), originally implying a physical turning away before evolving to mean diverting attention or meaning, often with a negative connotation.
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"Détourner" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used words.
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to distort