pollution

American  

[puh-loo-shuhn] / pəˈlu ʃən /

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.

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pollution British  

/ pəˈluːʃən /

noun

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

2. harmful or poisonous substances introduced into an environment

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pollution Scientific  

/ pə-lo̅o̅′shən /

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.

2. ◆ 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.

3. ◆ Continuous noise that is loud enough to be annoying or physically harmful is known as noise pollution.

4. ◆ 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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Other Word Forms

• self-pollution
  noun

Etymology

Origin of pollution

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

Explanation

Pollution is unwanted, harmful stuff contaminating an environment. The race to develop clean energy is motivated by high levels of pollution that people fear are permanently damaging the earth's environment. When you hear about pollution, you’re most likely hearing about chemical emissions into air or water that come from industrial processing. But pollution isn’t just environmental. Anything we think of as pure can be contaminated by pollution polluted, whether that's a lake or an idea. If your mother finds you reading trashy magazines instead of doing your homework, she might worry about the pollution of your mind.

Example Sentences

Methane is not considered toxic, but experts warn of the risks that emissions and air pollution pose to people in the surrounding area.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

"There is no threat of air pollution," he added.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

Amid the rush to give out passes to the Clean Air Act, communities already saddled with air pollution find themselves affected once more.

From Salon • May 10, 2026

"It is known that volcanoes emit methane during eruptions, but until now it was not known that volcanic ash is also capable of partially cleaning up this pollution," he adds.

From Science Daily • May 10, 2026

Of course the tigers sometimes caught them, or a snake bit them, but on the other hand they didn’t have to deal with automobile accidents and industrial pollution.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Related Words

• abuse
• corruption
• deterioration
• infection