contaminant

noun

kən-ˈta-mə-nənt How to pronounce contaminant (audio)
Definition of contaminantnext
as in contamination
something that is or that makes impure a filter to remove contaminants from the drinking water

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contaminant The work also helps clear the air of contaminants from leaking systems. — Samantha Gowen, Oc Register, 27 July 2026 With less money, FDA will also do less proactive sampling for microbial contaminants such as cyclospora. — Susan Mayne, STAT, 24 July 2026 Look for products that have been tested for contaminants like lead, arsenic, and mercury. — Stacey Colino, Time, 22 July 2026 Filters with higher values can catch smaller contaminants like smoke, bacteria and viruses. — Bill Chappell, NPR, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for contaminant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contaminant
  1. contamination
  2. pollutant
Noun
  • Some said our sampling would likely underestimate contamination on a property.
    — Cassandra Garibay, ProPublica, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Epidemiologists have to rely on patient interviews to determine a source of the contamination.
    — Bloomberg, Oc Register, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of contamination
Noun
  • Besides clearing pollutants from the air, aloe vera plants can also soothe burns and sunburn thanks to thick sap in their spiky leaves.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Officials step up monitoring for ammonia and other pollutants after levels far above state health benchmarks, as Lineage insists its refrigeration system is intact while rushing an expensive, high-speed cleanup.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of pollutant

Browse Nearby Words

contains
contaminant
contaminants
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Contaminant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contaminant. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on contaminant

Nglish: Translation of contaminant for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All