What is the Latin word for contaminate?

The usual Latin words for “contaminate” are contāminō, commaculō, inquinō; also polluō, spurcō, cōnspurcō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“contaminate” in Latin

contāminōto touch, bring into contact; to corrupt, contaminate, defile, stain, pollute commaculōto stain, spot; to pollute, defile, soil inquinōto pollute, defile, stain, befoul; to corrupt, contaminate polluōto soil, defile, pollute, stain, foul; to contaminate, violate, dishonor, desecrate, pollute, defile spurcōto soil, infect; to deprave cōnspurcōto befoul, pollute oblinōto daub over, besmear foedōto make foul or filthy, soil, dirty; defile, pollute, disfigure, mar, deform; to dishonor, disgrace violōto treat with violence; to maltreat; to violate, defile, profane, rape

The English word contaminate itself goes back to Latin tam, through contāminātus.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

contaminate

contaminare: commaculare: inquinare: polluere: spurcare: conspurcare [SYN. in DEFILE]: oblinere (e.g., parricidio oblltus, Cic.): foedare (to defile, to make foul): violare (to dishonour, also to profane): to contaminate one’s self, se inquinare sordibus; turpitudinis notam subire (to disgrace one’s self): to contaminate one’s hands with blood, contaminare se sanguine (Cic.): manus suas sanguine cruentare: to contaminate one’s character by debauchery, vitam oblinere libidine: libidinibus inquinari: to contaminate one’s glory, gloriam foedare, infuscare: one’s fame, famam inquinare: to contaminate the mind by all manner of wickedness, contaminare mentem omni scelere (Liv.): to be contaminated, contaminari (e.g., parricidio): contaminated with crime, flagitiis commaculatus (Tac.): to be contaminated by no crime, nullo crimine imbutum esse: not contaminated, inviolatus.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for contaminate?: The usual Latin words for “contaminate” are contāminō, commaculō, inquinō; also polluō, spurcō, cōnspurcō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.