pollution

Meaning

1. (uncountable, usually) Physical contamination, now especially the contamination of the environment by harmful substances, or by disruptive levels of noise, light etc.
2. (uncountable, usually) Something that pollutes; a pollutant.
3. (archaic, uncountable, usually) The desecration of something holy or sacred; defilement, profanation.
4. (archaic, uncountable, usually) The ejaculation of semen outside of sexual intercourse, especially a nocturnal emission.
5. (uncountable, usually) Moral or spiritual corruption; impurity, degradation, defilement.

Synonyms

contamination

defilement

soiling

impurity

dirtying

befoulment

corruption

pollute

immission

infection

nocturnal emission

pollutant

polluted

portmanteau

public nuisance

putrefaction

refuse

sin

soilure

spillage

spoiling

spotting

staining

uncleanliness

uncleanness

dirty water

environmental contamination

pollution of agriculture

ceremonial impurity

legal uncleanness

contagion

dusty air

contaminate

discoloration

disfiguration

environmental pollution

excrement

foulness

graft

Translations

pollution

inquinamento

Verschmutzung

poluição

contaminación

polución

ρύπανση

Umweltverschmutzung

contaminació

pollutie

contamination

vervuiling

μόλυνση

verontreiniging

Pronounced as (IPA)

/pəˈl(j)uːʃən/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: pollucion

Cognate with Ancient Greek: λῦμα

Cognate with Old Irish: loth

Cognate with Lithuanian: lutynas

In summary

From Middle English pollucioun, pollucion (“desecration, impurity”), from Anglo-Norman pollutiun, Middle French pollution, pollucion, and their source, post-classical Latin pollūtiō (“defilement, desecration; nocturnal emission”) (4th century), from the participial stem of polluō (“to soil, defile, contaminate”), from por- (“before”) + -luō (“to smear”), related to lutum (“mud”) and luēs (“filth”). Compare Ancient Greek λῦμα (lûma, “filth, dirt, disgrace”) and λῦμαξ (lûmax, “rubbish, refuse”), Old Irish loth (“mud, dirt”), Lithuanian lutynas (“pool, puddle”).

Sentences

There may also be pollution control or waste treatment facilities or equipment .

Light pollution has also been found to affect human circadian rhythms .