contaminate
Contaminate (verb) means to make something impure, dirty, or unsafe by introducing a harmful substance. Example: “A chemical spill contaminated the local water supply.”
How to use contaminate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo make something dirty, unsafe, or spoiled by introducing something harmful into it.
Word forms
more contaminate comparative, contaminated past tense, contaminates singular, most contaminate superlative
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Can you complete this real example?
A chemical spill _____ the local water supply.
Etymology
From Latin contaminare, "to corrupt or defile by mixing," from contaminatus, the past participle of the same verb.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for contaminate
See all rhymes for contaminate →Frequently asked questions
What does “contaminate” mean?
The word “contaminate” means to make something impure, dirty, or unsafe by introducing a harmful substance. In plain terms, to make something dirty, unsafe, or spoiled by introducing something harmful into it.
How do you pronounce “contaminate”?
“Contaminate” is pronounced kuhn-TA-mih-nayt (/kənˈtæmɪneɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “contaminate” in a sentence?
Here is “contaminate” used in a sentence: “A chemical spill contaminated the local water supply.”
What part of speech is “contaminate”?
“Contaminate” is a verb.
Where does the word “contaminate” come from?
The word “contaminate” comes from Latin. From Latin contaminare, "to corrupt or defile by mixing," from contaminatus, the past participle of the same verb.
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