pollutant
UK: pəˈluːtənt | US: pəˈluːtənt
n. a substance that pollutes the environment, especially air, water, or soil
n. any harmful or undesirable contaminant
The word "pollutant" derives from the Latin polluere (to soil or defile), combined with the suffix -ant, which forms agent nouns (e.g., "participant"). The root pollute reflects the act of contamination, while -ant turns it into a noun describing the contaminating agent itself. The term emerged in the mid-19th century alongside growing industrialization, emphasizing human-made environmental harm.
Carbon dioxide is a major pollutant contributing to climate change.
Factories must reduce their release of toxic pollutants into rivers.
Airborne pollutants can cause respiratory diseases.
The government imposed stricter limits on industrial pollutants.
Plastic waste is a persistent pollutant in marine ecosystems.