noun
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the act of polluting or the state of being polluted
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harmful or poisonous substances introduced into an environment
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The contamination of air, water, or soil by substances that are harmful to living organisms. Pollution can occur naturally, for example through volcanic eruptions, or as the result of human activities, such as the spilling of oil or disposal of industrial waste.
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◆ Light from cities and towns at night that interferes with astronomical observations is known as light pollution. It can also disturb natural rhythms of growth in plants and other organisms.
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◆ Continuous noise that is loud enough to be annoying or physically harmful is known as noise pollution.
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◆ Heat from hot water that is discharged from a factory into a river or lake, where it can kill or endanger aquatic life, is known as thermal pollution.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of pollution
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English pollucioun, from Old French, from Late Latin pollūtiōn-, stem of pollūtiō “defilement”; equivalent to pollute + -ion
Explanation
Pollution is unwanted, harmful stuff contaminating an environment. The race to develop clean energy is motivated by high levels of pollution that people fear are permanently damaging the earth's environment. When you hear about pollution, you’re most likely hearing about chemical emissions into air or water that come from industrial processing. But pollution isn’t just environmental. Anything we think of as pure can be contaminated by pollution polluted, whether that's a lake or an idea. If your mother finds you reading trashy magazines instead of doing your homework, she might worry about the pollution of your mind.
Vocabulary lists containing pollution
Africa - Introductory
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Eastern Europe - Introductory
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East Asia - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Regulator monitors and sensors have measured improved pollution levels since noon Monday, with the air quality index in the areas immediately surrounding the fire decreasing from very unhealthy to moderate as of 11 a.m.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026
But in a world where global warming fixes can seem impossibly daunting, limiting methane pollution from stripper wells is the rare low-hanging fruit, Andrew Logan of Ceres, a climate advocacy group, told me.
From Salon • Jun. 24, 2026
SpaceX’s subsidiaries were sued earlier this year over air pollution concerns from its use of those turbines.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026
The Environment Agency has said it will investigate reports of pollution but added the local authority was responsible for contaminated land.
From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026
He pointed up at the sky and said, “So the light pollution is terrible, but the brightest star you see—there, see it?”
From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
