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How does the word contaminate help you know the meaning of immaculate?

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Final answer:

The word 'contaminate' suggests impurity, hence 'immaculate' suggests purity and cleanliness, as 'im-' means 'not'. This is an example of using prefixes to understand word meanings.

Step-by-step explanation:

The word contaminate implies the presence of impurities or pollution. Knowing this, we can deduce that immaculate would relate to the absence of these impurities, as 'im-' is a prefix meaning 'not' in Latin. Therefore, immaculate suggests something that is completely clean or without blemish - the opposite of contaminated.

The process of understanding meanings of unknown words by knowing the meaning of their components is known as morphological analysis. It's a valuable tool for vocabulary development.

User Winni
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immaculate means free from spot or stain,pure,having no flaw. meaning they are opposites.

User Alex Chadyuk
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