Word
contamination
Phoneticscon·tam·i·na·tion, stress on the fourth syllable
US/kənˌtæməˈneɪʃən/
UK/kəntˌæmɪnˈeɪʃən/
Definitions
01pollution or dirt
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Science
n. the state of being dirty or dangerous because of chemicals, bacteria, or other harmful things.
n. the presence of an unwanted constituent or impurity in a material, physical body, or natural environment.
“The city warned residents about the contamination of the local water supply after the flood.”
“Environmental scientists detected significant chemical contamination in the soil samples collected near the decommissioned industrial site.”
Antonyms
02linguistic blending
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Linguistics Technical
n. when two words with similar meanings influence each other and change their sounds or forms.
n. the process by which the form of one word is altered through the influence of another related word.
“The word 'female' changed its spelling because of contamination from the word 'male'.”
“Historical linguists often cite contamination as the primary driver for irregular morphological changes in closely related lexical sets.”
Synonyms
03mixing of texts
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Academic · Formal
n. when a person copying an old book mixes parts from different versions together.
n. the intermingling of readings from multiple manuscript sources by a copyist, resulting in a hybrid text.
“The ancient poem exists in several versions due to the contamination of different manuscripts.”
“The editor faced the difficult task of identifying textual contamination where the scribe had clearly consulted two distinct traditions simultaneously.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Next, the team is testing environmental water samples collected in Michigan to determine whether the approach can detect PFAS contamination outside the laboratory.” “Three key Pfas chemicals were banned in Australia last year due to long-running concerns about environmental contamination and health risks.” Etymology
From Latin contāminātiōnem.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/contamination