carcinogenic

adjective

car·​ci·​no·​gen·​ic ˌkär-sə-nō-ˈje-nik 

: producing or tending to produce cancer

a carcinogenic substance/compound/chemical

a chemical that has been found to have carcinogenic effects

Removing the carcinogenic mineral—used for years as a pipe and tank insulator—is a highly regulated process …

—Jefferson Kolle

carcinogenically

ˌkär-sə-nō-ˈje-ni-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

The plant derivatives … are less carcinogenically active than those from the fossil fuels.

—Peter Bernfeld

carcinogenicity

ˌkär-sə-nō-jə-ˈni-sə-tē 

noun

The scientist, Dr. Bruce Ames, of the University of California at Berkeley, was the developer of the most widely used rapid laboratory test … for detecting the probable carcinogenicity of chemicals.

—Philip M. Boffey

Did you know?

It sometimes seems as if the list of carcinogenic substances gets longer every day. A substance such as a food additive that's been in common use for years may unexpectedly show signs of being carcinogenic in laboratory experiments. When that happens, the suspected carcinogen will often have to be withdrawn from the market. When a building material like asbestos turns out to be a carcinogen, it may also have to be physically removed from buildings. English has hundreds of other scientific words ending in -genic (such as allergenic), and in almost all of them the ending means "causing".

Examples of carcinogenic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This carcinogenic form of chromium is present in the drinking water of more than 250 million Americans, and there is no federal limit on the substance. —Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 26 Feb. 2025

Scientists know that alcohol is carcinogenic, or cancer-causing. —Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 28 Jan. 2025

Certain VOCs, such as benzene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde, are considered carcinogenic. —Rotem Eylor, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025

The engines of those trucks emit about 70% of smog-forming nitrogen oxides and 80% of carcinogenic diesel soot, according to the air board. —Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for carcinogenic

• angiogenic
• anthropogenic
• atherogenic
• cardiogenic
• embryogenic
• iatrogenic
• immunogenic
• metallogenic
• methanogenic
• nonpathogenic
• odontogenic
• osteogenic

Medical Definition

carcinogenic

adjective

car·​ci·​no·​gen·​ic ˌkärs-ᵊn-ō-ˈjen-ik 

: producing or tending to produce cancer

the carcinogenic action of certain chemicals

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

carcinogenically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

carcinogenicity

-jə-ˈnis-ət-ē 

noun

plural carcinogenicities