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View synonyms for pollutant

pollutant

[ puh-loot-nt ]

noun

  1. something that pollutes.
  2. any substance, as certain chemicals or waste products, that renders the air, soil, water, or other natural resource harmful or unsuitable for a specific purpose.

pollutant

/ pəˈluːtənt /

noun

  1. a substance that pollutes, esp a chemical or similar substance that is produced as a waste product of an industrial process
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pollutant

/ pə-lo̅o̅t′nt /

  1. A substance or condition that contaminates air, water, or soil. Pollutants can be artificial substances, such as pesticides and PCBs, or naturally occurring substances, such as oil or carbon dioxide, that occur in harmful concentrations in a given environment. Heat transmitted to natural waterways through warm-water discharge from power plants and uncontained radioactivity from nuclear wastes are also considered pollutants.
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Other Words From

  • nonpol·lutant adjective noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of pollutant1

First recorded in 1890–95; pollute + -ant

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