carcinogenic
CulturalExplanation
Something is carcinogenic if it has the potential to cause cancer. Asbestos, a material that was frequently used for insulation, was found to be carcinogenic, leading to laws regulating its use. To correctly pronounce carcinogenic, accent the fourth syllable: "car-sih-nuh-JEN-ick." Carcinogenic is related to the noun carcinogen, meaning "a cancer-causing substance." Both words come from carcinoma, or "malignant tumor" and -gen, a suffix that means "something produced." So something that is carcinogenic produces malignant tumors — cancer.
Vocabulary lists containing carcinogenic
2015 Spelling Bee - Words from Round 3
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"In praise and defense of grandiose, flowery, sesquipedalian words"
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Vocabulary from Readings 2, Unit 3
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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.
The weak atmosphere and magnetic field also allow carcinogenic cosmic radiation to pelt Mars’s surface: One day spent outdoors there equals about two years of radiation exposure on Earth.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
"Over time, considering the life expectancy in Brazil of around 75 years, there may be a carcinogenic risk since there's a possibility of direct and indirect DNA damage," says Cherubin.
From Science Daily • Feb. 17, 2026
Food safety concerns about Thai durians erupted last year, after Chinese authorities found in them a carcinogenic chemical dye believed to make the durians more yellow.
From BBC • Jan. 10, 2026
What it is: The Environmental Management Commission adopts rules that protect the state’s air and water, such as those that regulate industries discharging potentially carcinogenic chemicals in rivers.
From Salon • Jan. 1, 2026
The scientific facts released by the Food and Drug Administration clearly indicate the carcinogenic nature of aminotriazole in laboratory rats.
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.
