pollute, preserve, emit, dispose, reduce: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Upper-Intermediate set 2. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. pollute · verb/pəˈlut/

   to make land, air, or water dirty and unsafe to use

   Humans pollute the air, land, and sea by burning fossil fuels and using excessive amounts of chemicals and pesticides.

   Synonyms: contaminate

   Origin: late Middle English: from Latin pollut- ‘soiled, defiled’, from the verb polluere, based on the root of lutum ‘mud’

2. preserve · verb/prəˈzərv/

   to keep something safe from destruction

   The restoration project aims to preserve the wetland for future generations.

   Synonyms: protect, conserve, maintain

   Origin: late Middle English (in the sense ‘keep safe from harm’): from Old French preserver, from late Latin praeservare, from prae- ‘before, in advance’ + servare ‘to keep’

3. emit · verb/əˈmɪt/

   to produce gas, light, smell, sound or radiation

   When fossil fuels are burned, they emit harmful gases into the air, including carbon dioxide.

   Synonyms: release, give off, discharge

   Origin: early 17th century: from Latin emittere, from e- (variant of ex-) ‘out of’ + mittere ‘send’

4. dispose · verb/dəˈspoʊz/

   to get rid of something that is no longer wanted

   Knowing how to dispose of hazardous waste is imperative for citizens because it can be dangerous to others.

   Synonyms: get rid of, throw away, discard

   Origin: late Middle English: from Old French disposer, from Latin disponere ‘arrange’, influenced by dispositus ‘arranged’ and Old French poser ‘to place’

5. reduce · verb/rəˈdus/

   to make something less or smaller

   We should reduce consumption and minimize our impact on the ecosystem but this is not easy to do in a culture of mass consumption.

   Synonyms: lower, lessen, cut down on, decrease

   Origin: late Middle English: from Latin reducere, from re- ‘back, again’ + ducere ‘bring, lead’. The original sense was ‘bring back’ (hence ‘restore’, now surviving in reduce); this led to ‘bring to a different state’, then ‘bring to a simpler or lower state’ (hence reduce); and finally ‘diminish in size or amount’ (reduce, dating from the late 18th century)