CONTAMINANT Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

contaminant

noun

kən-ˈta-mə-nənt

Definition of contaminant

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 scientists created a single-step co-pyrolysis process to convert agricultural waste into an amphoteric absorbent that can remove contaminants from synthetic dyes. — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026 Over 600 million gallons of that water have now been drained, treated to remove contaminants and pumped deep underground. — Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026 Because of environmental regulations, those contaminants need to be removed during refining. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 24 Sep. 2026 Their mining and processing can also release metals and other contaminants into surrounding environments. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for contaminant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contaminant

Noun

Repairs to a broken water main near Atlanta's Chattahoochee Water Treatment Plant are complete, but residents and businesses in the affected area must continue boiling tap water while officials check the system for possible contamination.

— CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
Under that time pressure, the team had to carefully handle the precious DNA to prevent the risk of contamination on their descent.

— Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of contamination

Noun

The city said in a statement that the concentration of pollutants averaged 196 micrograms per cubic meter, which is considered an unhealthy level way above the normal range of about 3 to 9.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
If approved, the permit will also require monitoring of the water flow, temperature, present or expected pollutants in the sourcewater, expected pollutants in the wastewater, and additional pollutants associated with steam electric power generation.

— Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of pollutant

Browse Nearby Words

contains

contaminant

contaminants

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Contaminant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contaminant. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of contaminant

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

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

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes