contamination

noun

con·​tam·​i·​na·​tion kən-ˌta-mə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: a process of contaminating : a state of being contaminated

2

: contaminant

Synonyms of contamination

• contaminant
• pollutant

Examples of contamination in a Sentence

swimming in the lake is banned until the contamination is identified and neutralized

Recent Examples on the Web

Another day, another setback for Berlin‘s long awaited Berlin Modern, as moisture damage in the building’s shell and microbial contamination in other parts of the structure have forced the postponement of the museum to 2030. —Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 23 Apr. 2026

Already primed for catastrophe, townspeople’s discovery that developers had quietly targeted Acton for multiple battery projects stoked fears of industrial blight, fire and contamination of residential water wells and the nearby headwaters of Southern California’s last free-flowing river. —Bloomberg, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026

Back in 2019, Lynch and those living in University Park were told by the water company, Aqua Illinois, that there was a major lead contamination. —Jermont Terry, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026

These studies have shown that radionuclide movement is influenced by environmental factors, such as soil composition, moisture and biological activity, and that contamination can remain mobile and biologically relevant for decades. —Eduardo B. Farfán, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English contaminacioun, borrowed from Latin contāminātiōn-, contāminātiō "defilement, pollution," from contāmināre "to defile, pollute" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at contaminate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing contamination

• cross-contamination
• self-contamination

Rhymes for contamination

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Medical Definition

contamination

noun

con·​tam·​i·​na·​tion kən-ˌtam-ə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: a process of contaminating : a state of being contaminated

2

: something that contaminates