polluting

adjective

pol·​lut·​ing pə-ˈlü-tiŋ How to pronounce polluting (audio)
: causing pollution
… a region that has been dependent upon basic industries such as coal mining and metal work—relatively polluting industries.Patricia L. Layman
The recycling process itself can be polluting. Recyclers find it difficult to separate recyclable from nonrecyclable plastics, which causes the end product to be useless.Sally Hayhow Cullen

Examples of polluting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Countries like Germany and Poland have large deposits of lignite, which is less energy-dense and more polluting than higher-grade coals. Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025 Environmentalists and city planners generally encourage the use of bicycles and e-bikes as a more energy-efficient and less polluting form of transportation. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 July 2025 Reducing peak demand can also help avoid turning on older, more polluting fossil-fuel generators. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025 With a looming spike in power demand and pressure to meet that demand, advocates fear utilities could turn to highly polluting fuels. Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for polluting

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of polluting was in 1598

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Cite this Entry

“Polluting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polluting. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.

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