carcinogen
Americannoun
-
carcinogens
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of carcinogen
Explanation
A carcinogen is anything that causes cancer. Cigarette smoke, car exhaust, asbestos: all of these are known carcinogens. Don't even ask about the ones we don't know about... When you see the suffix "-gen" you know you're dealing with something that produces, causes, or generates something. Think of the Book of Genesis, or the beginning of all things. "Carcinoma," the name of a specific type of cancer, comes from the Greek karkinos, which means "crab" and "ulcer," as well as the animal associated with the astrological sign of Cancer. So you can see that carcinogen simply means "generating cancer."
Vocabulary lists containing carcinogen
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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:
Sunlight plays an important role in vitamin D production and overall health, but it is also classified as a complete carcinogen, meaning it can both start and promote cancer.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
It's also a priority for his customers, who are keen to protect families and pets from conventional treatments such as the "forever chemical" bifenthrin, classified as a possible human carcinogen.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Since then, he and roughly 170,000 other users have been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and related cancers associated with extended exposure to glyphosate, Roundup’s key ingredient and a probable carcinogen.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
“It can take like 10 years after being exposed to a carcinogen, or even 20 years for cancer to manifest.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
Even at that point, in 1957, the Food and Drug Administration could not instantly rescind the tolerance which allowed residues of a known carcinogen to contaminate food consumed by the public.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Doing so will increase the likelihood of heavy metal particles, which can carry lung irritants and carcinogens, being spread and inhaled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
The research also highlights the importance of studying how potential carcinogens affect people at different stages of life.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 29, 2026
Two recent studies about the Marshall fire—both of which focused on the lingering carcinogens and contaminants it released into the surrounding neighborhoods—confirm as much.
From Slate ● Jan. 16, 2025
The former FDA official said several food dyes, including Red No. 3 - which is banned in California - should also be blocked by the US government because of concerns about carcinogens.
From BBC ● Nov. 24, 2024
Medical men and even the general public were becoming aware that the human environment was inhabited by an enormous number of microorganisms capable of causing disease, just as today carcinogens pervade our surroundings.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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