carcinogenic
adjective
Jefferson KollePeter Bernfeld
Philip M. Boffey
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It sometimes seems as if the list of carcinogenic substances gets longer every day. A substance such as a food additive that's been in common use for years may unexpectedly show signs of being carcinogenic in laboratory experiments. When that happens, the suspected carcinogen will often have to be withdrawn from the market. When a building material like asbestos turns out to be a carcinogen, it may also have to be physically removed from buildings. English has hundreds of other scientific words ending in -genic (such as allergenic), and in almost all of them the ending means "causing".
Examples of carcinogenic in a Sentence
Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 7 Apr. 2025
Even more alarming, 93% of the school lunch items tested positive for glyphosate, a carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting chemical linked to liver disease.
—Debra Sheldon, Baltimore Sun, 26 Mar. 2025
In late January, county public health officials deemed ocean water off-limits to beachgoers from Las Flores State Beach in Malibu to Santa Monica State Beach, citing concerns about potential toxic or carcinogenic chemicals in the sand and water.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Most prebiotic sodas contain the fiber inulin, which experts say can be hard to digest and — according to early animal studies and a case study — potentially carcinogenic.
—Carly Mallenbaum, Axios, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for carcinogenic
Cite this Entry
“Carcinogenic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carcinogenic. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
carcinogenic
adjective
The Journal of the American Medical Association
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