pollution

[ puh-loo-shuhn ]
See synonyms for pollution on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act of polluting or the state of being polluted.

  2. the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment: air pollution.

Origin of pollution

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English pollucioun, from Old French, from Late Latin pollūtiōn-, stem of pollūtiō “defilement”; equivalent to pollute + -ion

Other words from pollution

  • self-pol·lu·tion, noun

Words Nearby pollution

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How to use pollution in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pollution

pollution

/ (pəˈluːʃən) /


noun
  1. the act of polluting or the state of being polluted

  2. harmful or poisonous substances introduced into an environment

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 pollution

pollution

[ pə-lōōshən ]


  1. The contamination of air, water, or soil by substances that are harmful to living organisms. Pollution can occur naturally, for example through volcanic eruptions, or as the result of human activities, such as the spilling of oil or disposal of industrial waste.♦ Light from cities and towns at night that interferes with astronomical observations is known as light pollution. It can also disturb natural rhythms of growth in plants and other organisms.♦ Continuous noise that is loud enough to be annoying or physically harmful is known as noise pollution.♦ Heat from hot water that is discharged from a factory into a river or lake, where it can kill or endanger aquatic life, is known as thermal pollution.

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