ENGLISH
REFERENCE

carcinogenic

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˌkɑɹsənoʊˈdʒɛnɪk// UK //kˌɑːsɪnəʊdʒˈɛnɪk// car·cino·genic

adj. describing something that can cause cancer in living tissue. You use this to talk about chemicals or substances that are dangerous to your health.

adj. relating to, or causing, the development of cancer. Often used in medical or scientific contexts to describe substances or radiation that damage DNA.


SIMPLE

The factory stopped using carcinogenic chemicals in its new process.

CONTEXTUAL

Health officials issued a warning after discovering that the local water supply contained a known carcinogenic substance.

COMPLEX

While some environmental factors are clearly carcinogenic, others may only contribute to the risk of cancer when combined with genetic predispositions or lifestyle choices.

Origin

From carcino- + -genic.

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