contaminate
verb (used with object)
to make impure or unsuitable by contact or mixture with something unclean, bad, etc..
contaminated
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past participleof contaminate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof contaminate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
contaminateverb (used with object)to make impure or unsuitable by contact or mixture with something unclean, bad, etc..
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.
Taylor Fresh had just last month voluntarily recalled imported contaminated lettuce from a grower in Central Mexico that was linked to a cyclosporiasis outbreak that affected 15 states and sicked tens of thousands of people.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Investigation work found the site did not meet the legal definition of contaminated land.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
The findings, published in Nature Communications, could contribute to future research into using bacteria to help clean up environments contaminated with uranium.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
Guibergia, who has been in the business for 25 years, said he planned to pick the grapes and turn them into wine in several separate batches to help limit damage from any contaminated fruit.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
The cubicles were small, only five feet in any direction, with doors that sealed like a freezer’s to prevent contaminated air from getting inside.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
