To remove harmful or poisonous substances from a person, place, or object to make it clean and safe.
From prefix 'de-' (to remove) + 'contaminate' (from Latin 'contaminatus', meaning to pollute or taint). Became common in English during the 20th century, especially in medical, military, and environmental contexts.
Decontamination became a major public concern during nuclear crises like Chernobyl and Fukushima, where specialized teams had to decontaminate entire regions—a process that can take decades and cost billions of dollars.
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