What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
contaminative
Example
The factory's waste is contaminative and harmful to the environment. [contaminative: adjective]
Example
The water source was found to be contaminative due to the presence of harmful chemicals. [contaminative: noun]
contagious
Example
The flu is a contagious disease that can easily spread from person to person. [contagious: adjective]
Example
Her laughter was contagious, and soon everyone in the room was laughing too. [contagious: adjective]
Example
The viral video quickly became contagious, with millions of views and shares. [contagious: adjective]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Contagious is more commonly used than contaminative in everyday language. Contagious is a versatile word that covers a wide range of contexts, while contaminative is less common and usually used in technical or scientific contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between contaminative and contagious?
Both contaminative and contagious are formal words that are typically used in technical or scientific contexts. However, contagious can also be used in informal contexts to describe the spread of emotions or ideas among people.