Definition

Able to cause the formation of tumors in the body.

Example

Certain chemicals are known to be tumorigenic and can increase the risk of cancer.

Conversation

Did you hear about the new study on tumorigenic substances in food?

Yeah, I read something about that; it sounds pretty concerning.

I know, right? It's scary to think what we might be eating.

Absolutely, we should definitely pay more attention to what we consume.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Tumorigenic → It is formed from "tumor" (from Latin *tumor*, meaning swelling or mass) and "-genic" (from Greek *genes*, meaning born of or produced by). The word "tumorigenic" refers to something that produces or causes a tumor.

Memory Tip

Think of a 'tumor' as a 'swelling' and '-genic' meaning 'produced by' — so tumorigenic means something that produces a swelling or tumor.

Visually Confused Words