pollutant

American  

[puh-loot-nt] / pəˈlut nt /

noun

pollutants plural

1. something that pollutes.

2. any substance, as certain chemicals or waste products, that renders the air, soil, water, or other natural resource harmful or unsuitable for a specific purpose.

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pollutant British  

/ pəˈluːtənt /

noun

1. a substance that pollutes, esp a chemical or similar substance that is produced as a waste product of an industrial process

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pollutant Scientific  

/ pə-lo̅o̅t′nt /

1. A substance or condition that contaminates air, water, or soil. Pollutants can be artificial substances, such as pesticides and PCBs, or naturally occurring substances, such as oil or carbon dioxide, that occur in harmful concentrations in a given environment. Heat transmitted to natural waterways through warm-water discharge from power plants and uncontained radioactivity from nuclear wastes are also considered pollutants.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonpollutant
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pollutants
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pollutant

First recorded in 1890–95; pollute + -ant

Explanation

Any substance that makes the environment dirty or contaminated is a pollutant. Soot is an example of an air pollutant, and chemical pollutants can make their way into the water supply. Trash that doesn't quickly biodegrade is one kind of pollutant—think of plastic bags floating around in the ocean. Chemicals that find their way into the air we breathe and the water we drink are another kind of pollutant. Pollutant comes from pollution, from the Late Latin pollutionem, "defilement," and its root polluere, "to soil or defile."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pollutant pollutants

While developers argue this is beneficial to remain independent from Utah’s power grid, it would still be highly pollutant and unlikely to account for all the center’s energy needs.

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026

"We're starting to learn more about this toxic, organic pollutant that we know is out there, and which we need to understand better."

From Science Daily ● Apr. 11, 2026

Coal is a top contributor to planet-warming greenhouse gases, and also a powerful air pollutant that is harmful for human health.

From Barron's ● Mar. 24, 2026

Dissenting in Massachusetts, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that from the court’s reasoning, “it follows that everything airborne, from Frisbees to flatulence, qualifies as an ‘air pollutant.’

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 18, 2026

It is a bit of a chemical oddity in that at ground level it is a pollutant, while way up in the stratosphere it is beneficial, since it soaks up dangerous ultraviolet radiation.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

As whole house fans and swamp coolers can suck additional pollutants inside, the department recommends using air purifiers or air conditioners as alternatives when possible.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026

But he said while pollutants from vehicles were being reduced, ammonia was still going up, so although there was good news in some areas, it was not a story of everything going well.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

“But those generators onsite also carry with them local pollutants that are kind of borne by the community right by the data center as well.”

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026

But communities nearby complained that the plants were spewing pollutants.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

Even worse, burning coal produces air pollutants, including sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, that are real threats to human health.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

Related Words

• poison
• pollution
• toxic waste
• toxin