POLLUTION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pollution mean? 

• POLLUTION (noun)
  The noun POLLUTION has 3 senses:

1. undesirable state of the natural environment being contaminated with harmful substances as a consequence of human activities

2. the state of being polluted

3. the act of contaminating or polluting; including (either intentionally or accidentally) unwanted substances or factors

  Familiarity information: POLLUTION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• POLLUTION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Undesirable state of the natural environment being contaminated with harmful substances as a consequence of human activities

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("pollution" is a kind of...):

impureness; impurity (the condition of being impure)

environmental condition (the state of the environment)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "pollution"):

biodegradable pollution (pollution that is rendered harmless by natural processes and so causes no permanent harm)

nonbiodegradable pollution (pollution that accumulates in the environment and may appear in the food chain)

air pollution (pollution of the atmosphere)

noise pollution; sound pollution (annoying and potentially harmful environmental noise)

thermal pollution (harm to lakes and rivers resulting from the release of excessive waste heat into them)

water pollution (pollution of the water in rivers and lakes)

Derivation:

pollute (make impure)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The state of being polluted

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

befoulment; defilement; pollution

Hypernyms ("pollution" is a kind of...):

dirtiness; uncleanness (the state of being unsanitary)

Derivation:

pollute (make impure)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of contaminating or polluting; including (either intentionally or accidentally) unwanted substances or factors

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

contamination; pollution

Hypernyms ("pollution" is a kind of...):

dirtying; soiling; soilure (the act of soiling something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "pollution"):

dust contamination (the act of contaminating with dust particles)

Derivation:

pollute (make impure)

 Context examples 

The data was then cross-referenced with air pollution levels using volunteers' home addresses.

(Air Pollution Can Trigger Glaucoma, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Air pollution, chemical fumes, or dust can also cause it.

(COPD, NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

The agency is also involved in research to examine the effects of pollution.

(Environmental Protection Agency, NCI Thesaurus)

High levels of pollution, radiation and asbestos exposure may also increase risk.

(Lung Cancer, NIH: National Cancer Institute)

Most people feel better as soon as they remove the source of the pollution.

(Indoor Air Pollution, Environmental Protection Agency)

The fact is that air pollution is stunting our brains, even before we are born," said Drisse.

(WAir Pollution a Health Risk for Children, Lisa Schlein/VOA)

Over the same period, MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) carefully tracked air pollution.

(Study finds link between long-term exposure to air pollution and emphysema, National Institutes of Health)

Then she began to rub her lips as though to cleanse them from pollution.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

And the cognitive effects of air pollution are dramatically more pronounced in women who carry a genetic variant, known as APOE-e4, which puts them at higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.

(The Surprising Link between Air Pollution, Alzheimer’s Disease, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Environmental engineering focusing on issues related to land management and pollution remediation.

(Environmental Engineering, Land, NCI Thesaurus)