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Contaminate vs Pollute - What's the difference?

contaminate | pollute |

Pollute is a synonym of contaminate.



In transitive terms the difference between contaminate and pollute

is that contaminate is to soil or corrupt by contact; to tarnish; to pollute while pollute is to make something or somewhere less suitable for some activity, especially by the introduction of some unnatural factor.

As an adjective pollute is

polluted.

contaminate

English

Verb

(contaminat)
  • To introduce impurities or foreign matter to.
  • Do not contaminate the peanut butter with the jelly.
    This water is contaminated . It isn't safe to drink.
  • To soil or corrupt by contact; to tarnish; to pollute.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Shall we now / Contaminate our figures with base bribes?
  • * Goldsmith
  • I would neither have simplicity imposed upon, nor virtue contaminated .
  • * '>citation
  • pollute

    English

    Verb

    (pollut)
  • To make something harmful, especially by the addition of some unwanted product.
  • The factory pollute d the river when it cleaned its tanks.
  • To make something or somewhere less suitable for some activity, especially by the introduction of some unnatural factor.
  • The lights from the stadium polluted the night sky, and we couldn't see the stars.
  • (dated) To corrupt or profane
  • * But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted , as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.” —Revelation 21:8 (RSV)
  • To violate sexually; to debauch; to dishonour.
  • Derived terms

    * self-pollute

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (rare) Polluted.
  • References

    * ----