English → Latin
“pollute” in Latin
maculōto stain, make spotted; to defile, pollute; to dishonorcommaculōto stain, spot; to pollute, defile, soilcontāminōto touch, bring into contact; to corrupt, contaminate, defile, stain, pollutepolluōto soil, defile, pollute, stain, foul; to contaminate, violate, dishonor, desecrate, pollute, defilespurcōto soil, infect; to depravecōnspurcōto befoul, polluteoblinōto daub over, besmearīnfuscōto darken or obscure; to sully, stain or tarnishfoedōto make foul or filthy, soil, dirty; defile, pollute, disfigure, mar, deform; to dishonor, disgraceviolōto treat with violence; to maltreat; to violate, defile, profane, rape
The English word pollute itself goes back to Latin polluō, through pollūtum.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
pollute
maculare: commaculare: maculis aspergere (especially to make spots upon white) or contaminare (to defile, contaminate; but only figuratively): polluere (to pollute, defile, desecrate): spurcare, conspurcare (to defile, contaminate): oblinere (to bedaub, figuratively for to pollute): infuscare (figuratively to obscure): foedare (to disfigure): violare (to injure, dishonor): labem or labeculam aspergere alicui rei (to stain, pollute, figuratively).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for pollute?
- The usual Latin words for “pollute” are maculō, commaculō, contāminō; 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.