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Synonyms
Examples of pollutant in a Sentence
filtered the pollutants out of the water
Recent Examples on the Web
Vehicle exhaust is made up of all sorts of pollutants, including carbon monoxide, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and carbon emissions that contribute to a warming world, which is also itself a major threat to health.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024
Fossil-fuel burning trucks spew alarming amounts of greenhouse gases, dangerous nitrogen oxides, lung-clogging particulate matter and a toxic stew of other pollutants.
—Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
The white trailer blends into the winter landscape at SKB Environmental’s landfill, but inside, machinery is working to capture one of the most pervasive environmental pollutants of our time.
—Chloe Johnson, Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024
The current annual health standard for such pollutants is 12 micrograms per cubic meter.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2024
The refinery is not allowed to discharge any pollutants into the ditch, but stormwater runoff and seepage from a plume of contaminated groundwater can make its way into that waterway.
—Noelle Phillips, The Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2024
Electric lawn equipment emits none of those pollutants.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024
In fact, the EPA estimates that on average Americans spend roughly 90% percent inside where the concentrations of some pollutants can be 2-5 times higher than outdoor concentrations.
—Meggen Harris, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
After decades of improvements due to regulations like the Clean Air Act of 1970 that restricted pollutants spewed by factories and cars, the nation has recently seen a rise in poor air quality linked to global warming, separate research recently showed.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pollutant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1892, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near pollutant
Cite this Entry
“Pollutant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pollutant. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.
Kids Definition
pollutant
noun
pol·lut·ant
pə-ˈlüt-ᵊnt
: something that pollutes
Medical Definition
pollutant
noun
pol·lut·ant
pə-ˈlüt-ᵊnt
: something that pollutes
More from Merriam-Webster on pollutant
Nglish: Translation of pollutant for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of pollutant for Arabic Speakers
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