polluting

adjective

pol·​lut·​ing pə-ˈlü-tiŋ How to pronounce polluting (audio)
: causing pollution
… a region that has been dependent upon basic industries such as coal mining and metal work—relatively polluting industries.Patricia L. Layman
The recycling process itself can be polluting. Recyclers find it difficult to separate recyclable from nonrecyclable plastics, which causes the end product to be useless.Sally Hayhow Cullen

Examples of polluting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But scientists are keen to better understand them, as this super-polluting gas traps around 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide in its first 20 years in the atmosphere. Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025 Their process could potentially decarbonize the chemical industry, which is widely regarded as one of the most polluting sectors around the world. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2025 Her elevated essentials are crafted with the most luxurious (and least polluting) materials. Olivia Pinnock, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025 This includes building new, large nuclear power plants, relying on hydrogen, natural gas and other combustible polluting fuels, and even repowering old fossil fuel power plants, ostensibly targeted at the unchecked expansion of AI operations and data centers. Eunice Ko, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for polluting

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of polluting was in 1598

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Cite this Entry

“Polluting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polluting. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

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