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contaminated
/kənˈtæmɪneɪtɪd/
made impure by harmful substances
The river was contaminated by industrial waste, making the water unsafe to drink.
The river became polluted with harmful chemicals from factories, rendering the water undrinkable.
Medicine
technical
rendered impure or harmful by contact with or addition of a poisonous or polluting substance
The hospital discarded the contaminated bandages to prevent infection.
The used medical dressings, exposed to bacteria, were thrown away to avoid spreading disease.
Commonly used in medical, environmental, and food safety contexts to describe substances or environments that have been polluted or corrupted.
figurative
influenced or corrupted by an undesirable quality or element
His decision-making was contaminated by his personal biases.
His judgment was negatively affected by his preexisting prejudices.
Used metaphorically to describe the corruption of ideas, processes, or systems by external influences.
Collocations
contaminated waterwater that contains harmful substancescontaminated foodfood that has been polluted or spoiledhighly contaminatedseverely polluted or impure
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Avoid overuse
Reserve 'contaminated' for situations involving actual pollution or corruption. For minor impurities, use 'tainted' or 'polluted' instead.
Gold Rule
Context matters
Use 'contaminated' for physical pollution (e.g., water, food, air) or metaphorical corruption (e.g., data, decisions). For emotional or social contexts, 'tainted' may be more appropriate.
Word Origin
From Latin *contaminatus*, past participle of *contaminare* (to defile, pollute), from *con-* (together) + *tangere* (to touch). The word entered English in the late 14th century with the sense of 'to defile morally or physically.'
Usage Notes
Often used in scientific, medical, and environmental contexts to describe substances or environments that have been polluted. In figurative use, it describes the corruption of abstract concepts like data, decisions, or systems. Avoid using 'contaminated' for minor impurities; it implies a significant level of pollution or harm.
Word Breakdown
con-
together, with
prefix-tamin-
to touch
root-ate
to make or cause
suffix-ed
past participle suffix indicating a state
suffixEnglish Dictionary