thermal pollution

noun

: the discharge of heated liquid (such as wastewater from a factory) into natural waters at a temperature harmful to the environment

Examples of thermal pollution in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Local ecosystems and communities will bear the brunt of the impacts, especially as thermal pollution can create dead zones in water bodies. Venkata Kondepati, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 2026 The researchers say underground climate change has been linked to shifts in plant growth and thermal pollution of groundwaters. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thermal pollution was in 1966

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Cite this Entry

“Thermal pollution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thermal%20pollution. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

thermal pollution

noun
: the release of heated liquid (as water used by a factory) into a natural body of water at a temperature harmful to the environment

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