adj
Uncommon
contaminated
Contaminated (adj) means Made impure or unsafe by the presence of a harmful or unwanted substance. Example: “The beach was closed after the water tested contaminated.”
adj
1
Made impure or unsafe by the presence of a harmful or unwanted substance.
"The beach was closed after the water tested contaminated."
"Do not drink from the stream, as the water may be contaminated."
"The contaminated soil had to be removed before the playground was built."
How to use contaminated
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDirty or unsafe because something harmful has gotten into it.
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more contaminated
- Superlative
- most contaminated
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The beach was closed after the water tested _____.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for contaminated
See all rhymes for contaminated →Frequently asked questions
What does “contaminated” mean?
The word “contaminated” means made impure or unsafe by the presence of a harmful or unwanted substance. In plain terms, dirty or unsafe because something harmful has gotten into it.
How do you use “contaminated” in a sentence?
Here is “contaminated” used in a sentence: “The beach was closed after the water tested contaminated.”
What is another word for “contaminated”?
Words with a similar meaning to “contaminated” include adulterated, common, corrupted, mixed, polluted and sophisticated.
What is the opposite of “contaminated”?
The opposite of “contaminated” — its antonyms — are pure and raw.
What part of speech is “contaminated”?
“Contaminated” is an adjective.
Is “contaminated” a common word?
“Contaminated” is an uncommon word in modern English.
What is the difference between contaminated and dirty?
Dirty simply means unclean or covered in grime, while contaminated specifically means made impure or unsafe by a harmful or unwanted substance, such as a chemical, pathogen, or radioactive material. Something can be dirty without being dangerous, but contaminated implies a real risk to health or safety.
Can contaminated be used for non-physical things, like data or information?
Yes, contaminated is often used figuratively to describe data, evidence, or a sample that has been corrupted by an outside influence, such as contaminated crime scene evidence or a contaminated research dataset. In these cases it still carries the core sense of being made impure or unreliable by an unwanted factor.
What kinds of substances typically make something contaminated?
Common contaminants include bacteria and other pathogens, chemicals, toxins, radioactive material, and pollutants. The word applies whenever a harmful or unwanted substance is introduced into food, water, air, soil, or another substance, making it impure or unsafe.
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