contaminated
adjective
con·tam·i·nat·ed
kən-ˈta-mə-ˌnā-təd 
1
: soiled, stained, corrupted, or infected by contact or association
a contaminated wound
Urine and feces of infected cats and contaminated clothing, bedding, food bowls or toys are also possible modes of transmission.—
Cat Fancy
Cat Fancy2
: made unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements
Botulinum toxin is a highly lethal substance which causes death, even in developed countries, when contaminated food is improperly canned or stored.—John Laffin
John Laffin… the material could be used as a filter for cleaning contaminated drinking water.—Alexandra Goho
Alexandra GohoExamples of contaminated in a Sentence
the hospitals had no choice but to throw out the contaminated blood supply
Recent Examples on the Web
As the recall was initiated back in February, the contaminated merchandise may have since been removed from shelves.
—Moná Thomas, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025
Listen to this article The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will not reconsider its denial to investigate whether the Tijuana River Estuary qualifies as a Superfund site, a designation given to the most contaminated places in the country needing long-term cleanup.
—Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
With enough contaminated soil to fill about 40,000 dump trucks, the Bien Hoa air base is the largest deposit of postwar pesticides remaining in Vietnam after a decadeslong cleanup campaign.
—Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 17 Mar. 2025
Oftentimes, contaminated soil is taken to nonhazardous landfills in neighboring states that rely on the more lenient federal standards.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contaminated
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Moná Thomas, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025
Listen to this article The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will not reconsider its denial to investigate whether the Tijuana River Estuary qualifies as a Superfund site, a designation given to the most contaminated places in the country needing long-term cleanup.
—Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
With enough contaminated soil to fill about 40,000 dump trucks, the Bien Hoa air base is the largest deposit of postwar pesticides remaining in Vietnam after a decadeslong cleanup campaign.
—Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 17 Mar. 2025
Oftentimes, contaminated soil is taken to nonhazardous landfills in neighboring states that rely on the more lenient federal standards.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contaminated
Cite this Entry
“Contaminated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contaminated. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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