wastewater

noun

waste·​wa·​ter ˈwāst-ˌwȯ-tər 

-ˌwä-

: water that has been used (as in a manufacturing process) : sewage

Examples of wastewater in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a nutshell, wastewater recycling works by first physically filtering the water, then subjecting it to reverse osmosis, and finally purifying it with ultraviolet light. —Frank Landymore, Futurism, 25 Feb. 2026

For Advance, the next item on the docket at its wastewater treatment facility is using renewable energy to power it. —Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 24 Feb. 2026

Columbia Water sued dozens of PFAS manufacturers in an ongoing federal lawsuit filed in mid-2024, alleging the companies are knowingly and improperly disposing of PFAS through wastewater treatment plants upstream of the city’s intake pipes. —Austin Fast, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026

The residue ends up in wastewater and in the environment. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wastewater

• annunciator
• imprimatur
• underwater
• backwater
• bathwater
• blackwater
• breakwater
• deepwater
• edgewater
• feedwater
• floodwater
• freshwater