▁" one ▁who ▁has ▁for s aken ▁a ▁doctrine ▁or ▁system ▁regarded ▁as ▁true , ▁apost ate ." ▁The ▁sense ▁of ▁a ▁per vert ▁as ▁a ▁sexual ▁term ▁was ▁derived ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 , ▁and ▁applied ▁originally ▁to ▁variants ▁of ▁sexual ities ▁or ▁sexual ▁behavior ▁believed ▁harm ful ▁by ▁the ▁individual ▁or ▁group ▁using ▁the ▁term . ▁ ▁Non - sex ual ▁us ages ▁The ▁verb ▁per vert ▁is ▁less ▁narrow ▁in ▁reference ▁than ▁the ▁related ▁n oun s , ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁without ▁any ▁sexual ▁con not ations . ▁It ▁is ▁used ▁in ▁English ▁law ▁for ▁the ▁crime ▁of ▁per ver ting ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁justice ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁common ▁law ▁off ence . ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁transition ▁to ▁the ▁sexual ▁in ▁' the ▁technique ▁of ▁purpose ful ▁per version ' ▁of ▁convers ational ▁remarks : ▁" P ur pose ful ▁per version ▁of ▁what ▁a ▁woman ▁has ▁said ▁... ▁is ▁a ▁long ▁step ▁closer ▁to ▁a ▁direct ▁attempt ▁at ▁s edu ction ▁or ▁ra pe ." ▁ ▁The ▁n oun ▁sometimes ▁occurs ▁in ▁abbre vi ated ▁sl ang ▁form ▁as ▁" per v " ▁and ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁verb ▁meaning ▁" to ▁act ▁like ▁a ▁per vert ", ▁and ▁the ▁ad jective ▁" per vy " ▁also ▁occurs . ▁All ▁are ▁often , ▁but ▁not ▁exclus ively , ▁used ▁non - ser iously . ▁ ▁In ▁econom ics ▁the ▁term ▁" per verse ▁in cent ive " ▁means ▁a ▁policy ▁that ▁results ▁in ▁an ▁effect ▁contrary ▁to