decontaminate

D2E1C3O1N1T1A1M3I1N1A1T1E1
UK/diːkənˈtæmɪneɪt/

verb

To remove contamination from (something), rendering it safe.

Opposite
contaminate
OriginEnglish contaminate ← Latin dē- ← Proto-Italic *dē →
UncommonScrabble 18
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Meanings

verbdecontaminate (third-person singular simple present decontaminates, present participle decontaminating, simple past and past participle decontaminated)

present singular third person decontaminates · participle present decontaminating · participle past decontaminated · past decontaminated

  1. transitiveTo remove contamination from (something), rendering it safe.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbrid of contamination

Opposite
contaminate
Broader
cleanseclean
Also see
uncontaminate

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*de
  2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
  3. Proto-Italic*dē
  4. Latindē
  5. Latindē-
  6. Englishde-
  7. Englishcontaminate
  8. Englishdecontaminate

From de- + contaminate.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish rense, desinficere
  • renseto remove contamination from (something), rendering it safe
  • desinficereto remove contamination from (something), rendering it safe
Finnish puhdistaa saasteesta, puhdistaa saasteista
  • puhdistaa saasteestato remove contamination from (something), rendering it safe
  • puhdistaa saasteistato remove contamination from (something), rendering it safe
French décontaminer
  • décontaminerto remove contamination from (something), rendering it safe
German dekontaminieren, entseuchen
  • dekontaminierento remove contamination from (something), rendering it safe
  • entseuchento remove contamination from (something), rendering it safe
Irish dí-éilligh, díthruailligh
  • dí-éillighto remove contamination from (something), rendering it safe
  • díthruaillighto remove contamination from (something), rendering it safe
Italian decontaminare
  • decontaminareto remove contamination from (something), rendering it safe
Japanese 除染する
  • 除染する (josen suru)to remove contamination from (something), rendering it safe
Norwegian Bokmål dekontaminere
  • dekontaminereto remove contamination from (something), rendering it safe
Russian дезактиви́ровать
  • дезактиви́ровать (dezaktivírovatʹ)to remove contamination from (something), rendering it safe
Spanish descontaminar
  • descontaminarto remove contamination from (something), rendering it safe
Cite this entry
APA

decontaminate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decontaminate

MLA

“decontaminate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decontaminate. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “decontaminate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decontaminate.

Source: decontaminate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.