carcinogen
noun
car·cin·o·gen
kär-ˈsi-nə-jən 
ˈkär-sə-nə-ˌjen
ˈkär-sə-nə-ˌjen
: a substance or agent causing cancer
Examples of carcinogen in a Sentence
Cigarette smoke contains known carcinogens.
Recent Examples on the Web
American soldiers sprayed Agent Orange over the jungles of Vietnam and nearby countries from the air and from the ground, often mixing it with kerosene or fuel, another carcinogen, to help disperse it.
—
Angus Chen, STAT, 27 Mar. 2026
There certainly are harmful chemicals, carcinogens, toxins, heavy metals, respiratory irritants and other things inside of there that certainly can cause immediate harm.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The World Health Organization puts UV emitting indoor tanning devices in the same category as carcinogens like tobacco and asbestos.
—Will Stone, NPR, 19 Mar. 2026
Tanning beds—like tobacco, formaldehyde, and asbestos—are classified as a group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
—Tori Crowther, Allure, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for carcinogen
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Angus Chen, STAT, 27 Mar. 2026
There certainly are harmful chemicals, carcinogens, toxins, heavy metals, respiratory irritants and other things inside of there that certainly can cause immediate harm.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The World Health Organization puts UV emitting indoor tanning devices in the same category as carcinogens like tobacco and asbestos.
—Will Stone, NPR, 19 Mar. 2026
Tanning beds—like tobacco, formaldehyde, and asbestos—are classified as a group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
—Tori Crowther, Allure, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for carcinogen
Cite this Entry
“Carcinogen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carcinogen. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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Medical Definition
carcinogen
noun
car·cin·o·gen
kär-ˈsin-ə-jən
ˈkärs-ᵊn-ə-ˌjen
ˈkärs-ᵊn-ə-ˌjen
: a substance or agent causing cancer
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