contaminated

adjective

con·​tam·​i·​nat·​ed kən-ˈta-mə-ˌnā-təd 

1

: soiled, stained, corrupted, or infected by contact or association

a contaminated wound

Urine and feces of infected cats and contaminated clothing, bedding, food bowls or toys are also possible modes of transmission.

—Cat Fancy

2

: made unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements

Botulinum toxin is a highly lethal substance which causes death, even in developed countries, when contaminated food is improperly canned or stored.

—John Laffin

… the material could be used as a filter for cleaning contaminated drinking water.

—Alexandra Goho

Synonyms

• adulterate
• adulterated
• alloyed
• dilute
• diluted
• impure
• polluted
• tainted
• thinned
• weakened

Examples of contaminated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Climate & Environment As water rates climb, many are struggling to pay for an essential service March 12, 2024 But several residents who live with contaminated tap water said during Wednesday’s meeting that the state should put greater weight on protecting public health. —Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024

Operators will have three years to start testing for PFAS pollution, then an additional two years to identify, purchase and install technology to treat contaminated water. —Sara Moniuszko, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024

High levels of fecal bacteria indicate the presence of pathogenic organisms that are found in warm-blooded animal waste and pose potential health risks to people who recreate in contaminated waters. —Richard Halstead, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024

Rather, our hands are critical in the indirect transmission of pathogens between people via contaminated objects and surfaces, as Mary Mallon did throughout her career. —Sabrina Sholts, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024

Detection can be complicated by the delay between consuming the contaminated food and experiencing symptoms. —Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024

During a yearslong cleanup of the Libby rail yard that began in 2003, crews excavated nearly the entire yard, removing about 18,000 tons of contaminated soil. —Matthew Brown and Amy Beth Hanson, Quartz, 7 Apr. 2024

McNelly and others have criticized the limitations of Wisconsin's well compensation program, which offers funding to replace a contaminated well but requires that a person have livestock and a nitrate level of 40 mg/L — four times the safe drinking water standard — to be able to access the funds. —Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024

Kaila Austin wants to turn a contaminated wasteland that’s been polluted for nearly a century back into a lush expanse of nature for generations of Norwood Place residents to enjoy. —Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of contaminate

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1