carcinogen

noun

car·​cin·​o·​gen kär-ˈsi-nə-jən How to pronounce carcinogen (audio) ˈkär-sə-nə-ˌjen How to pronounce carcinogen (audio)
: a substance or agent causing cancer

Examples of carcinogen in a Sentence

Cigarette smoke contains known carcinogens.
Recent Examples on the Web Among the revelations was a 1968 strategy by tobacco company Brown & Williamson on how to counter medical research into tobacco as a carcinogen, and a 1967 letter between tobacco lawyers on the public-image benefits of using a doctor to promote smoking. Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2023 It has been labeled as a likely carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency for more than a decade. Agnel Philip, ProPublica, 6 Nov. 2023 Today’s Talker The artificial sweetener found in Diet Coke is… … a possible carcinogen, the World Health Organization’s cancer research group has concluded. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 14 July 2023 Orange County officials declared a local state of emergency Thursday night due to the danger posed by the air pollution from the fire, which besides asbestos, a carcinogen, was found to contain lead, arsenic, nickel and other heavy metals. Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023 It has been deemed a possible human carcinogen by international experts, also based on animal studies. Julie Creswell, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2023 The carcinogen has also been linked to kidney and liver disease, Parkinson’s disease, fetal cardiac defects, and death. Andrew Hahn, Journal Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2023 The food coloring used in candy corn may be concerning as well, since some research has linked certain food dyes to toxins and carcinogens. Lauren Manaker Ms, Rdn, Verywell Health, 26 Oct. 2023 The toxin is labeled as a likely carcinogen and a probable human carcinogen by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), respectively. Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 16 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carcinogen.' 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

1853, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of carcinogen was in 1853

Dictionary Entries Near carcinogen

Cite this Entry

“Carcinogen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carcinogen. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

carcinogen

noun
car·​cin·​o·​gen kär-ˈsin-ə-jən How to pronounce carcinogen (audio) ˈkärs-ᵊn-ə-ˌjen How to pronounce carcinogen (audio)
: a substance that causes cancer
carcinogenic adjective

Medical Definition

carcinogen

noun
car·​cin·​o·​gen kär-ˈsin-ə-jən How to pronounce carcinogen (audio) ˈkärs-ᵊn-ə-ˌjen How to pronounce carcinogen (audio)
: a substance or agent causing cancer

More from Merriam-Webster on carcinogen

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