What does polluted mean?
Polluted describes something that has been made dirty, contaminated, spoiled, or otherwise rendered unfit for its proper use. Its literal applications include polluted water, air, soil, and food, while its figurative use describes institutions, systems, or conduct that have become morally or socially corrupt. The word generally carries a strongly negative connotation: saying that a place is polluted indicates that contamination is present, while saying that a person or organization is polluted suggests deep ethical decay. Polluted can also function as the past tense and past participle of pollute, as in “the factory polluted the river.” It is related to pollution, pollutant, and polluter, all of which derive from the same Latin vocabulary of contamination and defilement.
Made dirty, contaminated, spoiled, or unsafe; morally or socially corrupt.
"Heavy rainfall carried industrial waste into the polluted river."
The literal and figurative senses are both common, with the figurative sense carrying strong moral disapproval.
Past tense and past participle of pollute: to make dirty, contaminate, spoil, or corrupt.
"Industrial discharge polluted the river downstream."
This form is the simple past tense and past participle of pollute.
From a Latin word meaning “to defile,” polluted has long described both fouled places and morally corrupted institutions.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does polluted come from?
Polluted is the past participle of pollute and also functions as an adjective. The English verb comes through Middle English from Latin pollutus, the past participle of polluere, meaning “to defile.” The same Latin root underlies pollution, pollutant, and polluter, reflecting the long history of the word's association with contamination.
Related word forms
How polluted is actually used
Polluted is used in standard British and American English. In figurative use, it strongly suggests serious moral corruption and is often more emphatic than simply tainted.
Easily confused with polluted
A pollutant is a substance that causes contamination, whereas polluted describes the contaminated condition or thing.