doctored

USAGE SUMMARY

"doctored" is a correct and usable word in written English.
You can use it to refer to a situation in which something has been deliberately altered, usually in an intentional effort to deceive or mislead. For example: "The police uncovered evidence that the company's records had been doctored in order to hide certain illegal activities."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Pictures can be doctored, but in general you can tell when one is real if you are there, from who posted it, how quickly it tallies with verbal reports, and so on.

The Guardian - Opinion

Former NSW ministers Joe Tripodi and Tony Kelly allegedly doctored a cabinet minute in 2010, changing advice in it from the Department of Premier and Cabinet so it recommended cabinet approve the AWH proposal.

The Guardian

A cabinet minute that was doctored in favour of AWH is part of the inquiry and, when Tripodi entered the witness box on Thursday, counsel assisting Icac, Geoffrey Watson SC, said the doctored minute "had the hand of Tripodi all over it".

The Guardian

On Sunday the citizen journalist group Bellingcat released a report that it said proved that the Russian defence ministry had used doctored images in an earlier presentation about MH17.

The Guardian

As a result, the browser would, on visiting Hulu's site, send the doctored ETag, and with it the user's identity, back to the server.

The Economist

For evidence of the charge, the government offered a crudely doctored videotape.See article: Mugabe's rival charged with treasonMarc Ravalomanana, who claims he won Madagascar's election in December, declared himself president and appointed a prime minister.

The Economist

Some of these addresses were then sent infected e-mails that had been doctored to look as though they had come from other harvested addresses.

The Economist

It is the president's voice in the recording, a spokesman says, but her words have been doctored to create the impression of impropriety.

The Economist

When Mr Varoufakis, now Greece's finance minister, was confronted with the clip on March 15th during a talk show on German television, he claimed the footage was doctored.

The Economist

FOR years the IMF turned a blind eye as Argentina doctored its inflation index and plumped up its numbers for economic growth.

The Economist

He was arrested last year on charges that he doctored files on paramilitary chiefs and drug-traffickers wanted for extradition to the United States.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "doctored" to describe data or images, be specific about the nature of the alteration and the potential intent behind it to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

While "doctored" is widely understood, consider using more formal alternatives like "falsified" or "manipulated" in academic or professional writing to maintain a higher level of formality.

Linguistic Context

The word "doctored" functions primarily as an adjective, modifying nouns to indicate they have been altered or manipulated, often with deceptive intent. Ludwig AI provides several examples where "doctored" describes items like images, statistics, or documents.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Formal & Business

10%

Science

5%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "doctored" is a versatile adjective used to describe something that has been altered or manipulated, frequently with a negative implication of deception. As Ludwig AI points out, its grammatical function is primarily as an adjective, often modifying nouns. While the term is considered grammatically correct and acceptable, as confirmed by Ludwig, it's important to be aware of its connotations. Usage is particularly prevalent in News & Media, suggesting a neutral yet critical register. When aiming for academic precision or formal business communications, consider stronger alternatives like "falsified" or "manipulated" to maintain an appropriate tone.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

falsified

Implies making something false or untrue, often in a formal or official context. Focuses on the creation of falsehood.

manipulated

Suggests skillful handling or control, often with a negative connotation of influencing unfairly. It speaks about intent to subtly influence.

altered

Indicates a change made to something, not necessarily implying deception or negativity. Refers to a general change.

tampered with

Suggests interfering with something, often to damage or change it unauthorized. The term puts emphasis on unauthorized or illegal modification.

forged

Specifically refers to creating a fake copy, often of a signature or document. Emphasizes the creation of an imitation.

rigged

Implies manipulating a system or process to achieve a desired outcome, often unfairly. The term underlines intent to manipulate a system.

skewed

Suggests distorting something in a way that it is no longer accurate or fair. Indicates a deviation from truth.

contrived

Indicates something is artificially created or developed, often appearing unnatural or forced. It says that something is artificial or studied.

cooked up

Informal term suggesting something has been fabricated or invented, often a plan or story. This term is often related to something planned or invented with some kind of effort.

fixed

Suggests that something has been arranged or manipulated, especially dishonestly, to give a particular result. It highlights the intent to make things work in a certain direction.

FAQs

How can I use "doctored" in a sentence?

You can use "doctored" to describe something that has been altered or manipulated, often with the intent to deceive. For example, "The evidence presented in court was "doctored" to mislead the jury".

What can I say instead of "doctored"?

You can use alternatives like "falsified", "manipulated", or "altered" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "doctored evidence"?

Yes, "doctored evidence" is a common and correct usage, indicating that the evidence has been tampered with or falsified.

What's the difference between "altered" and "doctored"?

"Altered" simply means changed, while "doctored" implies a deceptive or manipulative alteration. "Doctored" suggests an intent to mislead, whereas "altered" is neutral.