pollute

verb

pol·​lute pə-ˈlüt How to pronounce pollute (audio)
polluted; polluting

transitive verb

1
a
: to make ceremonially or morally impure : defile
b
: debase sense 1
using language to deceive or mislead pollutes languageLinda C. Lederman
2
a
: to make physically impure or unclean : befoul, dirty
b
: to contaminate (an environment) especially with man-made waste
polluter noun
pollutive adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for pollute

contaminate, taint, pollute, defile mean to make impure or unclean.

contaminate implies intrusion of or contact with dirt or foulness from an outside source.

water contaminated by industrial wastes

taint stresses the loss of purity or cleanliness that follows contamination.

tainted meat
a politician's tainted reputation

pollute, sometimes interchangeable with contaminate, distinctively may imply that the process which begins with contamination is complete and that what was pure or clean has been made foul, poisoned, or filthy.

the polluted waters of the river

defile implies befouling of what could or should have been kept clean and pure or held sacred and commonly suggests violation or desecration.

defile a hero's memory with slanderous innuendo

Examples of pollute in a Sentence

Miles of beaches were polluted by the oil spill. Car exhaust pollutes the air.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Well, the nation’s most polluting coal plant, Montana’s Colstrip plant, has asked the EPA for an exemption, as the New York Times’ Hiroko Tabuchi reports. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025 Vyse's version is simpler and cheaper—estimated to add only a few cents more to the price of a drink—and avoids polluting gases. Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025 As seawater creeps further into coastlines, salt threatens to pollute the freshwater reserves that people depend on. Ars Technica, 19 Mar. 2025 Communities near factory farms have also reported animal waste polluting their waterways with nitrates. Sam Delgado, Vox, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pollute

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin pollutus, past participle of polluere, from por- (akin to Latin per through) + -luere (akin to Latin lutum mud, Greek lyma dirt, defilement) — more at for

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pollute was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pollute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pollute. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

pollute

verb
pol·​lute pə-ˈlüt How to pronounce pollute (audio)
polluted; polluting
: to make impure
especially : to spoil (as a natural resource) with waste made by humans
industrial wastes polluted the river

Medical Definition

pollute

transitive verb
pol·​lute pə-ˈlüt How to pronounce pollute (audio)
polluted; polluting
1
: to make physically impure or unclean
2
: to contaminate (an environment) especially with anthropogenic waste
polluter noun
pollutive adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on pollute

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!