contaminate

American  

[kuhn-tam-uh-neyt, kuhn-tam-uh-nit, -neyt] / kənˈtæm əˌneɪt, kənˈtæm ə nɪt, -ˌneɪt /

verb (used with object)

contaminated, contaminating

1. to make impure or unsuitable by contact or mixture with something unclean, bad, etc..

   to contaminate a lake with sewage.

   Synonyms:

   corrupt, poison, infect, taint, pollute, defile

2. to render harmful or unusable by adding radioactive material to.

   to contaminate a laboratory.

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noun

1. something that contaminates or carries contamination; contaminant.

adjective

1. Obsolete. contaminated.

contaminate British  

verb

1. to make impure, esp by touching or mixing; pollute

2. to make radioactive by the addition of radioactive material

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adjective

1. archaic contaminated

Other Word Forms

• contaminable adjective
• contaminant noun
• contaminative adjective
• contaminator noun
• contaminous adjective
• noncontaminable adjective
• noncontaminative adjective
• recontaminate verb (used with object)
• self-contaminating adjective
• uncontaminable adjective
• uncontaminated adjective
• uncontaminative adjective

Etymology

Origin of contaminate

1375–1425; late Middle English contaminaten < Latin contāminātus, past participle of contāmināre to defile, spoil, equivalent to con- con- + -tāminare, verbal derivative of *tāmen something touched < *tag-s-men, equivalent to tag-, variant stem of tangere to touch + -s-men resultative noun suffix; examen

Explanation

The verb contaminate means the same as pollute. Whether it’s food, air, or water, when you contaminate something, you make it impure or hazardous. Contaminate comes from the Latin word contaminat-, meaning “made impure.” You can use the word to indicate that a hazardous substance has been introduced into something else, such as food that is contaminated with mold. It can also be used figuratively to describe the spoiling of a good thing, like one person's habit of gossiping that can contaminate a conversation among friends.

Example Sentences

These highly automated sites run 24/7 and can’t afford even tiny traces of extraneous gases or chemicals to contaminate their precision production, says Liu.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Understanding how this molecular gearbox works could help researchers develop ways to stop bacteria from forming biofilms, slimy communities that cause infections and contaminate medical devices.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026

Informal recycling is rife with hazards -- open burning, acid baths and unprotected dismantling expose workers to toxic fumes and contaminate soil and water.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

They can also eat their way through farm produce and contaminate food supplies.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025

"And when it comes to making perfume, you have to work in sterile conditions so you don't contaminate the product."

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Related Words

• corrupt
• harm
• infect
• injure
• poison
• pollute
• stain
• taint
• tarnish