decontamination
|de-con-ta-mi-na-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌdiːkɑːntəˈmɪneɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌdiːkɒntəˈmɪneɪʃən/
removal of contamination
Etymology
'decontamination' originates from the prefix 'de-' (meaning 'remove' or 'reverse') combined with 'contamination', which comes from Latin 'contaminatio' (from 'contaminare' meaning 'to defile or pollute').
'decontamination' formed in modern English by attaching the prefix 'de-' to the noun 'contamination' (from Latin 'contaminatio' via Middle French and Late Latin usage), producing a term used in technical and medical contexts in the 20th century.
Initially, the root 'contaminare' meant 'to defile' or 'to touch together' in Latin, but over time 'contamination' came to mean the presence of unwanted pollutants; 'decontamination' developed to denote the removal or neutralization of those pollutants.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the process of removing hazardous or unwanted substances (such as chemicals, biological agents, or radioactive material) from people, equipment, or areas to make them safe.
After the spill, the building required extensive decontamination before staff could return.
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Noun 2
a specific procedure or set of procedures used to remove or neutralize contaminants in a medical, laboratory, industrial, or emergency-response context.
Decontamination protocols for hazardous waste vary depending on the material involved.
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Last updated: 2026/01/31 05:48