contaminate
Americanverb (used with object)
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contaminates,
present (3rd person singular)
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contaminated,
past participle, past
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contaminating
present participle
noun
adjective
verb
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to make impure, esp by touching or mixing; pollute
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to make radioactive by the addition of radioactive material
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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contaminantnoun
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contaminatornoun
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recontaminateverb (used with object)
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contaminableadjective
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contaminativeadjective
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contaminousadjective
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noncontaminableadjective
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noncontaminativeadjective
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self-contaminatingadjective
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uncontaminableadjective
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uncontaminatedadjective
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uncontaminativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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contaminatesimple
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contaminatessimple
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have contaminatedperfect
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has contaminatedperfect
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am contaminatingprogressive
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are contaminatingprogressive
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is contaminatingprogressive
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have been contaminatingperfect progressive
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has been contaminatingperfect progressive
Past
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contaminatedsimple
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had contaminatedperfect
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was contaminatingprogressive
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were contaminatingprogressive
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had been contaminatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of contaminate
1375–1425; late Middle English contaminaten < Latin contāminātus, past participle of contāmināre to defile, spoil, equivalent to con- con- + -tāminare, verbal derivative of *tāmen something touched < *tag-s-men, equivalent to tag-, variant stem of tangere to touch + -s-men resultative noun suffix; cf. examen
Explanation
The verb contaminate means the same as pollute. Whether it’s food, air, or water, when you contaminate something, you make it impure or hazardous. Contaminate comes from the Latin word contaminat-, meaning “made impure.” You can use the word to indicate that a hazardous substance has been introduced into something else, such as food that is contaminated with mold. It can also be used figuratively to describe the spoiling of a good thing, like one person's habit of gossiping that can contaminate a conversation among friends.
Vocabulary lists containing contaminate
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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.
See Examples For:
Scientists and conservation groups have long warned lead shotgun pellets can contaminate habitats and harm wildlife after being deposited in the environment.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Our water system’s decentralized, fragmented nature, perhaps a bit like our electoral system, is a double-edged sword, inasmuch as its vulnerabilities are atomized—at least a single hacker can’t contaminate all the water in the country.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
Burning natural gas also causes significant air pollution in the form of nitric oxides, sulfur, mercury and particulates, while hydraulic fracturing or "fracking," can contaminate ground water supplies.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Paiva also hopes to examine whether materials besides methane, including compounds released from spacecraft components such as paint and rubber, could contaminate scientifically important lunar sites.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
So could radiations from certain rocks, or arsenic washed out of soil or rocks to contaminate food or water supplies.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Cyclospora is a parasite that contaminates leafy greens, berries and herbs.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
“If a worker contaminates lettuce, that lettuce will likely be eaten before it becomes infectious,” Todd said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
The production of PFAS-coated pans also exposes factory workers to those chemicals, and the wastewater from factories like those are what contaminates waterways, landfills and, in some cases, farmland.
From Salon ● Dec. 9, 2024
Water shortages are not new, but many countries, especially in the global south, are experiencing climate change-related intense drought and flooding that contaminates water sources.
From BBC ● May 27, 2024
Now you see how evil companionship contaminates a man!
From Mixed Faces by Roy Norton
He added that the six complainants in the case were "not random", adding they were "thoroughly contaminated by the programme".
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
The relatively small sample means the findings cannot yet establish how radioactive particles behave throughout the entire contaminated region.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
A council leader says he will support a public inquiry into contaminated land in a town, following a report published last week that revealed it could pose a risk to human health.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
After our office was cleared, we were all sent home, only to be told to return the next day to drop off our contaminated clothes in trash bags.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
When a leukocyte spots an anomaly—a bit of virus, say—it destroys the infected or contaminated cell immediately.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Sewage spills are on the rise, contaminating waterways, flooding streets and threatening ecological and public health.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
In November 2020, Indian government investigators found hidden bore holes where the operator of the United Marine Products fishmeal plant in Goa had been covertly disposing of toxic waste, thereby contaminating groundwater.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Researchers found that methane released in spacecraft exhaust may spread across the moon surprisingly quickly, potentially contaminating regions that could preserve ancient chemical clues about how life first emerged on Earth.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
Infected birds shed the parasite in their saliva and poo, contaminating food sources when they feed.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026
A single pair of rats could produce more than eight hundred offspring in a year, spreading infection and contaminating food.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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