Pollute
/pəˈluːt/noun
To make something dirty, impure, or unclean, especially by adding harmful substances.
Did you know?Pollute comes from Latin polluere, which meant to soil, defile, or desecrate—so the word originally carried a moral and ritual stain, not just environmental damage.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leu-
“to loosen, soil, or make dirty”
Latin
Latin
polluere
“to soil, defile, profane”
Late Latin
Latin
pollūtus
“defiled, polluted”
Old French
Old French
polluter
“to defile, corrupt”
Middle English
English
polluten
“to make foul or impure”
Modern English
English
pollute
“to contaminate or make unclean”