prostituted
UK[ˈprɒstɪtjuːtɪd]US[ˈprɑːstɪtuːtɪd]
v
Past tense and past participle of 'prostitute': To have offered (oneself or one's talents) for unworthy purposes, especially for money.
v
To have put (oneself or one's abilities) to an unworthy or corrupt use for financial gain or personal advancement.
Morpheme Breakdown
pro
stitut
ed
pro
forward/in front of
stitut
set/place
ed
past tense suffix
Etymology
The verb 'prostitute' originates from the Latin prostituere, meaning "to expose publicly, offer for sale," specifically in a sexual context. It is a compound of pro- ("forward, in front of") and statuere ("to set up, place"). The literal sense was "to set forth publicly," which evolved to denote placing oneself in a public position for hire, particularly for sexual services. By the 16th century, the term entered English, and its meaning broadened metaphorically to describe the debasement or corrupt use of any skill or principle for base gain, leading to the past participle 'prostituted' describing such an action that has been completed.
Analysis
Structure: pro (forward/in front of) + stitut (set/place) + ed (past tense suffix)
- pro: Latin origin, meaning "forward," "forth," or "in front of." In this word, it functions as a prefix indicating being placed forth or publicly.
- stitut: From Latin statuere (to set up, place, establish), via the past participle stem stitut-. It functions as the core root meaning "to place" or "to set."
- ed: Old English origin, a suffix used to form the past tense and past participle of regular verbs.
Examples
She felt she had prostituted her artistic talents by designing cheap advertisements.
The politician was accused of having prostituted his office for personal profit.
In his memoir, he wrote that he had never prostituted his journalistic integrity.