WordGarden.iocontaminate
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /kəntˈæmɪnˌeɪt/
US
- /kənˈtæməˌneɪt/
Meanings
Verb
to make a place, substance, or object dirty, impure, poisonous, or unsafe
to introduce bias, error, or unwanted influence into data, evidence, or results
to spoil or corrupt someone's character, judgment, or values through a harmful influence
Beyond the definition
Imagine a clean glass of water. If even a tiny drop of poison falls in, it contaminates the whole thing—making it unsafe or impure. That's what contamination is all about. It's not always liquid; you can contaminate land with chemicals, food with bacteria, or even a conversation with false information. Think of it as introducing something unwanted that ruins the purity of something else.
Contamination often has negative consequences. A contaminated water supply could cause illness, and a contaminated crime scene could ruin an investigation. It's a word we hear a lot when talking about environmental issues, health concerns, or even wrongdoing. For example, "The factory was accused of contaminating the river with toxic waste."
To contaminate means to make something impure, polluted, or unsuitable by adding something harmful or unwanted. It's more than just getting dirty; it implies a loss of quality or safety. Think about how bacteria can contaminate food, making you sick if you eat it, or how oil spills contaminate the ocean, harming marine life.
The thing being spoiled doesn't have to be physical. You can contaminate an investigation with false evidence, a reputation with lies, or even a discussion with negativity. The key is that something unwanted is introduced, diminishing the original quality.
Historically, "contaminate" comes from Latin contaminare, related to a word meaning "to touch," and it came to mean defiling or polluting. Today, we use it in many contexts: environmental science ("radioactive contamination"), medicine ("blood contamination"), and even figuratively when discussing moral or ethical issues ("His judgment was contaminated by bias").
So whether it's a physical substance spoiling something pure, or an influence corrupting something good, to contaminate is to introduce impurity and diminish value. It's a word that often carries serious implications about harm and damage.
Examples
- 1
Industrial pollution
Waste from the factory contaminated the river downstream.
- 2
Food safety
Raw chicken can contaminate other food if you use the same cutting board.
- 3
Lab sample
The lab threw out the sample because it had been contaminated with dust.
- Patterncontaminate X with Y
make X dirty, unsafe, or unusable by adding Y
- 4
Evidence handling
Investigators were careful not to contaminate the evidence.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Public discussion
The discussion was contaminated by rumors and personal attacks.
- Patternbe contaminated by + bad influence
be spoiled or affected by it
- 6
Objective reporting
Keep your personal opinions from contaminating the report.
- Patternkeep X from contaminating Y
stop X from affecting Y
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- contaminate food
- contaminate water
- contaminate a sample
- become contaminated with
Word family
Explore
- decontamination
- cross-contamination
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- contaminateverb
Forms
- contaminatedpast tenseverb
- contaminating-ing formverb
- contaminatesverb