Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Contamination has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
the state of being contaminated
"The contamination of the water supply forced the town to issue an immediate boil-water advisory."
a substance that contaminates
"The water supply was shut down after testing revealed high levels of industrial waste as contamination in the reservoir."
the act of contaminating or polluting; including (either intentionally or accidentally) unwanted substances or factors
"The accidental spill caused severe contamination of the local water supply by introducing harmful chemicals into the river."
The act or process of contaminating
"The accidental spill caused widespread contamination of the local water supply within hours."
In plain English: Contamination is when unwanted stuff gets mixed into something clean, making it dirty or unsafe to use.
"The contamination spread quickly through the water supply after the factory pipe burst."
The word contamination comes from the Latin term contaminatio, which originally referred to ritual impurity or defilement. It entered English through French with this same sense of being made unclean or polluted.