contaminant

noun

con·​tam·​i·​nant kən-ˈta-mə-nənt How to pronounce contaminant (audio)
Synonyms of contaminantnext
: something that contaminates

Synonyms of contaminant

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of contaminant in a Sentence

a filter to remove contaminants from the drinking water
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However, these methods fail to destroy the chemicals and simply trap the contaminants. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026 Toxicology testing also revealed that Jackie had environmental contaminants and traces of a rodenticide called brodifacoum in her liver. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026 The upscale outdoor mall survived the Palisades fire, but needed refurbishment to eliminate any potential contaminants from the blaze. — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 In an interview, Village Manager Michael Braiman explained that, when firefighters return from a fire, department vehicles, equipment and gear can be covered with contaminants. — Andis Robeznieks, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for contaminant

Word History

Etymology

contamin(ate) + -ant entry 1

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of contaminant was in 1922

Browse Nearby Words

contakion
contaminant
contaminate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Contaminant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contaminant. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

contaminant

noun
con·​tam·​i·​nant kən-ˈtam-ə-nənt How to pronounce contaminant (audio)
: something that contaminates

Medical Definition

contaminant

noun
con·​tam·​i·​nant kən-ˈtam-ə-nənt How to pronounce contaminant (audio)
: something that contaminates
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All