What does maculated mean?
Maculated describes something marked with spots, stains, or other small imperfections. The word is especially useful in descriptive writing about patterned natural objects, such as the plumage of birds or the shells of eggs, where it conveys the presence of a distinct mottled or spotted design. It can also be used figuratively to describe a reputation, institution, or record that has been spoiled by scandal, dishonesty, or disgrace. Although maculated is related to maculate and maculation, it is more commonly encountered in specialized and formal writing than in everyday speech. The term can carry a sense of contamination or moral corruption when applied to abstractions, making it more dramatic than simply saying that something is stained or tainted.
adjectiveCovered or marked with spots; blemished or tainted. In figurative use, it means spoiled or morally stained.
- Covered or marked with spots or small stains.
- Figuratively, spoiled, blemished, or tainted, especially by wrongdoing or disgrace.
"The bird's maculated plumage blends into the dappled woodland."
"The shorebird has a pale, maculated breast that is difficult to distinguish from the sand."
"The newspaper's reputation was maculated by allegations of corruption."
In biology, maculated describes the striking spotted patterns found on some birds' eggs and plumage.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of maculated
Maculated comes from the Latin maculatus, the past participle of maculare, meaning 'to stain' or 'to mark with spots.' The Latin noun macula, meaning 'spot' or 'stain,' is the source of the English family, including maculate, maculation, and immaculate. English borrowed the word in the late 16th and 17th centuries, initially in senses connected with spotted or marked surfaces and later in figurative moral contexts.
Related word forms
How maculated is actually used
Maculated is relatively formal and literary. In biology it is a technical descriptor for a spotted or patterned appearance; in figurative use, it is usually more emphatic than the ordinary word 'tainted'.
Easily confused with maculated
Maculated means marked with spots or blemishes, while speckled specifically means covered with small spots, often of contrasting colour.