What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Contamination vs Irradiation - What's the difference?

contamination | irradiation |

As nouns the difference between contamination and irradiation

is that contamination is the act or process of contaminating; pollution; defilement; taint; also, that which contaminates while irradiation is an act of irradiating, or state of being irradiated.

contamination

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • The act or process of contaminating; pollution; defilement; taint; also, that which contaminates.
  • (linguistics) A process whereby words with related meanings come to have similar sounds.
  • (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.
  • The process of making a material or surface unclean or unsuited for its intended purpose, usually by the addition or attachment of undesirable foreign substances.
  • irradiation

    English

    Noun

  • An act of irradiating, or state of being irradiated.
  • (obsolete) illumination; irradiance; brilliance.
  • (obsolete) figurative: mental light or illumination.
  • (obsolete) the apparent enlargement of a bright object seen upon a dark ground, due to the fact that the portions of the retina around the image are stimulated by the intense light; as when a dark spot on a white ground appears smaller, or a white spot on a dark ground larger, than it really is, especially when a little out of focus.
  • (uncountable) a process of sterilisation whereby radiation is passed through a bag containing food, utensils, etc., to sterilise the contents.
  • Derived terms

    * photoirradiation