contamination

noun

con·​tam·​i·​na·​tion kən-ˌta-mə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: a process of contaminating : a state of being contaminated

2

: contaminant

Synonyms

• adulterant
• contaminant
• defilement
• impurity
• pollutant

Examples of contamination in a Sentence

swimming in the lake is banned until the contamination is identified and neutralized

Recent Examples on the Web

Cucumber recalls Multiple different cucumber products have been recalled over concerns of potential salmonella contamination. —Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025

The fires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades consumed not only trees, brush and timber from people’s homes but also lead acid car batteries, plastic pipes, synthetic furniture, paint and untold other potential sources of contamination. —Jack Healy, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025

Buy that dream house: See the best mortgage lenders In rare but not unprecedented occurrences, some areas may face regional water outages or contaminations, like in Flint, Michigan and Jackson, Mississippi. —Andrea Riquier, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2025

Treating water is not advised until the levels of contamination are known. —Andrew J. Whelton, CNN, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English contaminacioun, borrowed from Latin contāminātiōn-, contāminātiō "defilement, pollution," from contāmināre "to defile, pollute" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at contaminate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing contamination

• cross contamination
• self-contamination

Medical Definition

contamination

noun

con·​tam·​i·​na·​tion kən-ˌtam-ə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: a process of contaminating : a state of being contaminated

2

: something that contaminates