pollute

verb

pol·​lute pə-ˈlüt How to pronounce pollute (audio)
polluted; polluting

transitive verb

1
a
: to make ceremonially or morally impure : defile
b
: debase sense 1
using language to deceive or mislead pollutes languageLinda C. Lederman
2
a
: to make physically impure or unclean : befoul, dirty
b
: to contaminate (an environment) especially with man-made waste
polluter noun
pollutive adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for pollute

contaminate, taint, pollute, defile mean to make impure or unclean.

contaminate implies intrusion of or contact with dirt or foulness from an outside source.

water contaminated by industrial wastes

taint stresses the loss of purity or cleanliness that follows contamination.

tainted meat
a politician's tainted reputation

pollute, sometimes interchangeable with contaminate, distinctively may imply that the process which begins with contamination is complete and that what was pure or clean has been made foul, poisoned, or filthy.

the polluted waters of the river

defile implies befouling of what could or should have been kept clean and pure or held sacred and commonly suggests violation or desecration.

defile a hero's memory with slanderous innuendo

Examples of pollute in a Sentence

Miles of beaches were polluted by the oil spill. Car exhaust pollutes the air.
Recent Examples on the Web At this point in human history, plastics are everywhere—their tiny fragments pollute the environment, as well as both bottled and tap water. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024 Sterilizing facilities had polluted the air unchecked for decades, leading to disproportionately high cancer risks in surrounding communities. Lizzy Lawrence, STAT, 14 Mar. 2024 Farmers love the fact that their photovoltaic (PV) pumps do not require expensive and polluting diesel fuel or grid connections. Fred Pearce, WIRED, 9 Mar. 2024 And for now, hydrogen is sourced almost entirely from polluting natural gas or other fossil fuels, blunting any potential environmental edge. IEEE Spectrum, 22 Feb. 2024 That depletes water tables and brings the kind of stubble burning that helps pollute Delhi’s air every autumn. Suhasini Raj, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2024 Sometimes Suncor also pollutes the Burlington Ditch, an irrigation canal that runs along its border, with benzene. Noelle Phillips, The Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Separately, Tesla is in trouble over its Gigafactory just outside Berlin, which is apparently polluting the German capital’s drinking water. David Meyer, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 More than 500 fires have burned across the country since 2024 began, consuming at least 42,000 acres of forest and grasslands and blanketing Colombia’s capital, Bogotá, in a pall of polluting smoke. Quentin Septer, Scientific American, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pollute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin pollutus, past participle of polluere, from por- (akin to Latin per through) + -luere (akin to Latin lutum mud, Greek lyma dirt, defilement) — more at for

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pollute was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pollute

Cite this Entry

“Pollute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pollute. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pollute

verb
pol·​lute pə-ˈlüt How to pronounce pollute (audio)
polluted; polluting
: to make impure
especially : to spoil (as a natural resource) with waste made by humans
industrial wastes polluted the river

Medical Definition

pollute

transitive verb
pol·​lute pə-ˈlüt How to pronounce pollute (audio)
polluted; polluting
1
: to make physically impure or unclean
2
: to contaminate (an environment) especially with man-made waste
polluter noun
pollutive adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on pollute

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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