carcinogen
Americannoun
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:
Dermatologists agree that exposure to UV rays, a known carcinogen, is far more dangerous than any specific sunscreen use.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
And the International Agency for Research on Cancer maintains that peer-reviewed studies show that Roundup is “probably” a carcinogen to humans and is linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 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
But monitoring for leaks has proved effective in other industries; fence-line emissions of benzene, a carcinogen, fell 30% at petroleum refineries after implementation of a similar monitoring program, according to the EPA.
From Salon ● May 10, 2026
But laboratory animals give more prompt results, and after the two years it was evident that this miticide was indeed a carcinogen.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Most studies of carcinogens rely on adult mice, typically at least 4 to 6 weeks old.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 29, 2026
The US non-profit organisation Consumer Reports tested samples from ten of the most popular brands of synthetic braiding hair, and found that all of them contained carcinogens, and in some cases, lead.
From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2025
Pacific Palisades residents who have been unable to safely use their tap water due to carcinogens in the system have a new tool to track their utility’s progress in flushing out the contaminants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2025
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
With the advent of man the situation began to change, for man, alone of all forms of life, can create cancer-producing substances, which in medical terminology are called carcinogens.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
