noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/kənˌtæm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/
Received-Pronunciation:/kənˌtæm.əˈneɪ.ʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/kənˌtæm.əˈneɪ.ʃən/
General-American:[kənˌtɛəm.əˈneɪ.ʃən]
General-American:[kənˌɾ̃æm.əˈneɪ.ʃən]
New-Jersey:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian:/kənˌtæm.ɪˈnæɪ.ʃən/
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:K AH0 N T AE2 M AH0 N EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act or process of contaminating.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: pollution, defilement, taint
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Something which contaminates.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
the act of contaminating or polluting; including (either intentionally or accidentally) unwanted substances or factors
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: pollution
Antonyms: decontamination
Broader terms: soiling, soilure, dirtying
Narrower terms: dust contamination
7
noun
Meaning 7
the state of being contaminated
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: taint
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: impurity, impureness
Narrower terms: dust contamination
8
noun
Meaning 8
a substance that contaminates
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: contaminant
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: material, stuff
History
Etymology
From Latin contāminātiōnem.
Across languages
Translations
77 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
تَلْوِيث
(talwīṯ)
— the act or process of contaminating
Arabic:
تَلَوُّث
(talawwuṯ)
— the act or process of contaminating
Belarusian:
забру́джванне
(zabrúdžvannje)
— the act or process of contaminating
Belarusian:
забру́джваньне
(zabrúdžvanʹnje)
— the act or process of contaminating
Belarusian:
забрудне́нне
(zabrudnjénnje)
— the act or process of contaminating
Belarusian:
забрудне́ньне
(zabrudnjénʹnje)
— the act or process of contaminating
Bulgarian:
замърся́ване
(zamǎrsjávane)
— the act or process of contaminating
Catalan:
contaminació
— the act or process of contaminating
Chinese Mandarin:
污染
(wūrǎn)
— the act or process of contaminating
Czech:
znečištění
— the act or process of contaminating
Czech:
kontaminace
— the act or process of contaminating
Dutch:
verontreiniging
— the act or process of contaminating
Dutch:
contaminatie
— the act or process of contaminating
Esperanto:
kontaminado
— the act or process of contaminating
Esperanto:
kontamino
— the act or process of contaminating
Finnish:
saastuminen
— the act or process of contaminating
Finnish:
pilaantuminen
— the act or process of contaminating
Finnish:
saastuttaminen
— the act or process of contaminating
French:
contamination
— the act or process of contaminating
Georgian:
დაბინძურება
(dabinʒureba)
— the act or process of contaminating
Georgian:
მოწამვლა
(moc̣amvla)
— the act or process of contaminating
German:
Verunreinigung
— the act or process of contaminating
German:
Verseuchung
— the act or process of contaminating
German:
Kontamination
— the act or process of contaminating
Greek:
μόλυνση
(mólynsi)
— the act or process of contaminating
Hebrew:
קוֹנְטֶמִינֶצְיָה
(konteminátsya)
— the act or process of contaminating
Hindi:
मिलावट
(milāvaṭ)
— the act or process of contaminating
Hungarian:
szennyezés
— the act or process of contaminating
Hungarian:
beszennyezés
— the act or process of contaminating
Hungarian:
szennyeződés
— the act or process of contaminating
Hungarian:
beszennyeződés
— the act or process of contaminating
Hungarian:
elszennyeződés
— the act or process of contaminating
Hungarian:
szennyezettség
— the act or process of contaminating
Hungarian:
kontamináció
— the act or process of contaminating
Hungarian:
fertőzöttség
— the act or process of contaminating
Interlingua:
contamination
— the act or process of contaminating
Italian:
contaminazione
— the act or process of contaminating
Japanese:
汚染
(osen)
— the act or process of contaminating
Japanese:
コンタミネーション
(kontaminēshon)
— the act or process of contaminating
Korean:
오염
(oyeom)
— the act or process of contaminating
Luxembourgish:
Verseuchung
— the act or process of contaminating
Luxembourgish:
Kontaminatioun
— the act or process of contaminating
Macedonian:
загаду́вање
(zagadúvanje)
— the act or process of contaminating
Maltese:
kontaminazzjoni
— the act or process of contaminating
Mongolian:
халдвар
(xaldvar)
— the act or process of contaminating
Navajo:
iʼniiyą́ą́ʼ
— the act or process of contaminating
Piedmontese:
contaminassion
— the act or process of contaminating
Dari:
آلُودَگِی
(ālūdagī)
— the act or process of contaminating
Iranian Persian:
آلودِگی
(âludegi)
— the act or process of contaminating
Polish:
skażenie
— the act or process of contaminating
Portuguese:
contaminação
— the act or process of contaminating
Romanian:
contaminare
— the act or process of contaminating
Russian:
загрязне́ние
(zagrjaznénije)
— the act or process of contaminating
Scottish Gaelic:
truailleadh
— the act or process of contaminating
Slovak:
znečistenie
— the act or process of contaminating
Slovak:
kontaminácia
— the act or process of contaminating
Spanish:
contaminación
— the act or process of contaminating
Turkish:
bulaşma
— the act or process of contaminating
Ukrainian:
забру́днення
(zabrúdnennja)
— the act or process of contaminating
Catalan:
contaminació
— a process whereby words with related meanings come to have similar sounds; blend, portmanteau (word)
Czech:
kontaminace
— a process whereby words with related meanings come to have similar sounds; blend, portmanteau (word)
Dutch:
contaminatie
— a process whereby words with related meanings come to have similar sounds; blend, portmanteau (word)
Finnish:
sanasekauma
— a process whereby words with related meanings come to have similar sounds; blend, portmanteau (word)
Interlingua:
contamination
— a process whereby words with related meanings come to have similar sounds; blend, portmanteau (word)
Japanese:
コンタミネーション
(kontaminēshon)
— a process whereby words with related meanings come to have similar sounds; blend, portmanteau (word)
Macedonian:
контамина́ција
(kontaminácija)
— a process whereby words with related meanings come to have similar sounds; blend, portmanteau (word)
Polish:
kontaminacja
— a process whereby words with related meanings come to have similar sounds; blend, portmanteau (word)
Russian:
контамина́ция
(kontaminácija)
— a process whereby words with related meanings come to have similar sounds; blend, portmanteau (word)
Ukrainian:
контаміна́ція
(kontaminácija)
— a process whereby words with related meanings come to have similar sounds; blend, portmanteau (word)
Dutch:
contaminatie
— linguistics, etymology: the influence of one form (often from a foreign language) on the historical development of another form to which it may be related in meaning
Georgian:
კონტამინაცია
(ḳonṭaminacia)
— linguistics, etymology: the influence of one form (often from a foreign language) on the historical development of another form to which it may be related in meaning
Latvian:
kontaminēšanās
— linguistics, etymology: the influence of one form (often from a foreign language) on the historical development of another form to which it may be related in meaning
Latvian:
kontaminācija
— linguistics, etymology: the influence of one form (often from a foreign language) on the historical development of another form to which it may be related in meaning
Polish:
kontaminacja
— linguistics, etymology: the influence of one form (often from a foreign language) on the historical development of another form to which it may be related in meaning
Polish:
adideacja
— linguistics, etymology: the influence of one form (often from a foreign language) on the historical development of another form to which it may be related in meaning
Russian:
контамина́ция
(kontaminácija)
— linguistics, etymology: the influence of one form (often from a foreign language) on the historical development of another form to which it may be related in meaning
Ukrainian:
контаміна́ція
(kontaminácija)
— linguistics, etymology: the influence of one form (often from a foreign language) on the historical development of another form to which it may be related in meaning