pollutant

[ puh-loot-nt ]

/ pəˈlut nt /

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See synonyms for: pollutant / pollutants on Thesaurus.com

noun

something that pollutes.

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.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of pollutant

First recorded in 1890–95; pollute + -ant

OTHER WORDS FROM pollutant

non·pol·lu·tant, adjective, noun

Words nearby pollutant

poll parrot, pollster, polltaker, poll tax, pollucite, pollutant, pollute, polluted, pollution, Pollux, poll watcher

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pollutant in a sentence

These pollutants can come from industrial facilities as well as from power plants and vehicles.
New Research Shows Disproportionate Rate of Coronavirus Deaths in Polluted Areas|by Lylla Younes, ProPublica, and Sara Sneath|September 11, 2020|ProPublica
While researchers are not sure how this happens, they believe air pollutants could prevent the body’s immune system from being able to tell the difference between a harmless allergen and a dangerous particle, like a virus.
New Research Shows Disproportionate Rate of Coronavirus Deaths in Polluted Areas|by Lylla Younes, ProPublica, and Sara Sneath|September 11, 2020|ProPublica
A new study published yesterday in Science Advances finds that asphalt pavement and roofing give off lots of gases that go on to form air pollutants.
City pavement is a big source of air pollution|Ula Chrobak|September 3, 2020|Popular-Science
To be clear, this finding applied to just one type of pollutant.
City pavement is a big source of air pollution|Ula Chrobak|September 3, 2020|Popular-Science

In summertime, asphalt in cities might contribute more to pollutants called secondary organic aerosols than cars and trucks.
City pavement is a big source of air pollution|Ula Chrobak|September 3, 2020|Popular-Science
Acid rock drainage is the single biggest pollutant associated with copper mining.
Copper, the Metal That Runs the World: ‘Boom, Bust, Boom,’ by Bill Carter|Peter Madden|October 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
A fresh start to climate diplomacy would emphasize that carbon dioxide is not the only warming pollutant.
Hillary Clinton’s Plan to Get Serious About Global Warming|David G. Victor, Charles F. Kennel, Veerabhadran Ramanathan|June 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Although it's now regarded as a poisonous pollutant, you can, however, trade it.
A Skeptic's Guide to Copenhagen|Tunku Varadarajan|December 6, 2009|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for pollutant

pollutant

/ (pəˈluːtənt) /

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for pollutant

pollutant

[ pə-lōōt′nt ]

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.

pollutant

Origin of pollutant

OTHER WORDS FROM pollutant

Words nearby pollutant

Words related to pollutant

How to use pollutant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pollutant

Scientific definitions for pollutant