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:
Cadmium is a carcinogen associated particularly with lung cancer, says Rob Chilcott, a retired professor of toxicology.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
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
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
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
The World Health Organization counts UV-emitting tanning beds as a Group 1 carcinogen, alongside other known human carcinogens like tobacco cigarettes and asbestos.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 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
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
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
It would be unrealistic to suppose that all chemical carcinogens can or will be eliminated from the modern world.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
