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Pollute vs Contaminated - What's the difference?

pollute | contaminated |

As verbs the difference between pollute and contaminated

is that pollute is to make something harmful, especially by the addition of some unwanted product while contaminated is past tense of contaminate.

As adjectives the difference between pollute and contaminated

is that pollute is polluted while contaminated is adulterated; impure.

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

    * ----

    contaminated

    English

    Verb

    (head)
  • (contaminate)

    • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • adulterated; impure

    • Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "contaminated" is often applied: food, meat, fish, milk, water, groundwater, land, soil, sediment, site, property, air, product, material.