Usage Note
Inquinare is used for environmental pollution (inquinare l'aria/l'acqua, to pollute the air/water) and also metaphorically for corrupting evidence: inquinare le prove (to tamper with evidence), a legal phrase common in Italian news. L'inquinamento is the noun for pollution; inquinato is the adjective (polluted). Uses avere as auxiliary.
Examples
"Le fabbriche inquinano il fiume."
Natural Translation
The factories pollute the river.
Related Words
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