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Pollution: meaning, definitions and examples

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pollution

 

[ pəˈluːʃ(ə)n ]

Noun
Oxford 3000 The environment
Context #1 | Noun

environmental

The presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects.

Synonyms

contamination, pollutant, toxicity

Examples of usage

  • Air pollution is a major concern in many cities around the world.
  • Water pollution from industrial waste is a serious problem in this area.
Context #2 | Noun

general

The action or process of making land, water, air, etc. dirty and not safe or suitable to use.

Synonyms

contamination, defilement, tainting

Examples of usage

  • The pollution of the river has had a devastating impact on the local wildlife.
  • The pollution caused by the factory is affecting the health of the residents.

Translations

Translations of the word "pollution" in other languages:

🇵🇹 poluição

🇮🇳 प्रदूषण

🇩🇪 Verschmutzung

🇮🇩 polusi

🇺🇦 забруднення

🇵🇱 zanieczyszczenie

🇯🇵 汚染 (osen)

🇫🇷 pollution

🇪🇸 contaminación

🇹🇷 kirlilik

🇰🇷 오염 (oyeom)

🇸🇦 تلوث (talawwuth)

🇨🇿 znečištění

🇸🇰 znečistenie

🇨🇳 污染 (wūrǎn)

🇸🇮 onesnaženje

🇮🇸 mengun

🇰🇿 ластану (lastanu)

🇬🇪 დაბინძურება (dabindzureba)

🇦🇿 çirklənmə

🇲🇽 contaminación

Etymology

The word 'pollution' originated from the Latin word 'pollutio', which means defilement or soiling. The concept of pollution has been recognized throughout history, with early civilizations understanding the negative impact of waste and contaminants on the environment. Industrialization and urbanization in the 19th and 20th centuries led to a significant increase in pollution levels, prompting environmental movements and regulations to address the issue.

See also: pollutant, pollute, polluted, polluter, polluting.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #3,099, this word is part of upper-intermediate vocabulary. While not among the most basic terms, it appears often enough to be valuable for advanced communication.