English → Latin
“contamination” in Latin
contāminātiōcontamination, pollution; defilementpollūtiōpollution, contamination, defilementmaculaa spot, speck, small mark or stain; a blemish, temporary or permanent (for example, a bruise, freckle, mole, birthmark, lābēsfall, collapse; subsidence; fault, defectcontāgiōcontact, touch; intercourse (social); influencecontingōto touch on all sides, take hold of, come into contact with; to reach (by moving), attain to, come to, arrive at, meet winviolātusunhurt, uninjured; inviolable
The English word contamination itself goes back to Latin tamen, through contāminātiō.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
contamination
contaminatio: pollutio (both late): macula, labes (blot; stigma): contagio: contactus (contagious infection): free from contamination, inviolatus (opposed to pollutus).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for contamination?
- The usual Latin words for “contamination” are contāminātiō, pollūtiō, macula; also lābēs, contāgiō, contingō. 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.