廃棄物の定義と意味 - メリアム・ウェブスター

WASTE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster Est. 1828 Dictionary Definition noun verb adjective noun 3 noun verb adjective Synonyms Synonym Chooser Example Sentences Word History Phrases Containing Rhymes Entries Near Related Articles Cite this Entry Citation Kids Definition Kids Medical Definition Medical Legal Definition Legal More from M-W Show more Show more Citation Kids Medical Legal More from M-W Save Word To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In waste 1 of 3 noun ˈwāst Synonyms of waste 1 a : a sparsely settled or barren region : desert b : uncultivated land c : a broad and empty expanse (as of water) 2 : the act or an instance of wasting : the state of being wasted 3 a : loss through breaking down of bodily tissue b : gradual loss or decrease by use, wear, or decay 4 a : damaged, defective, or superfluous material produced by a manufacturing process: such as (1) : material rejected during a textile manufacturing process and used usually for wiping away dirt and oil cotton waste (2) : scrap (3) : an unwanted by-product of a manufacturing process, chemical laboratory, or nuclear reactor toxic waste hazardous waste nuclear waste b : refuse from places of human or animal habitation: such as (1) : garbage , rubbish (2) : excrement — often used in plural (3) : sewage c : material derived by mechanical and chemical weathering of the land and moved down sloping surfaces or carried by streams to the sea waste 2 of 3 verb wasted ; wasting transitive verb 1 : to lay waste especially : to damage or destroy gradually and progressively reclaiming land wasted by strip-mining 2 : to cause to shrink in physical bulk or strength : emaciate , enfeeble a body wasted by disease 3 : to wear away or diminish gradually : consume 4 a : to spend or use carelessly : squander waste valuable resources b : to allow to be used inefficiently or become dissipated a writer wasting her talent 5 : kill also : to injure severely intransitive verb 1 : to lose weight, strength, or vitality — often used with away was wasting away from illness 2 a : to become diminished in bulk or substance b : to become consumed 3 : to spend money or consume property extravagantly or improvidently see also: waste one's breath waste 3 of 3 adjective 1 a (1) : being wild and uninhabited : desolate (2) : arid , empty b : not cultivated : not productive 2 : being in a ruined or devastated condition 3 [ waste entry 1 ] a : discarded as worthless, defective, or of no use : refuse waste material b : excreted from or stored in inert form in a living body as a by-product of vital activity waste products 4 [ waste entry 1 ] : serving to conduct or hold refuse material a waste barrel specifically : carrying off superfluous water a waste drain 5 : wasted sense 4 Synonyms of waste Relevance Noun wastefulness luxury extravagance prodigality Verb spend lose Adjective barren desolate impoverished poor unproductive bleak See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus Choose the Right Synonym for waste ravage , devastate , waste , sack , pillage , despoil mean to lay waste by plundering or destroying. ravage implies violent often cumulative depredation and destruction. a hurricane ravaged the coast devastate implies the complete ruin and desolation of a wide area. an earthquake devastated the city waste may imply producing the same result by a slow process rather than sudden and violent action. years of drought had wasted the area sack implies carrying off all valuable possessions from a place. barbarians sacked ancient Rome pillage implies ruthless plundering at will but without the completeness suggested by sack . settlements pillaged by Vikings despoil applies to looting or robbing without suggesting accompanying destruction. the Nazis despoiled the art museums Examples of waste in a Sentence Noun The current system causes a lot of waste . We need to find ways to reduce unnecessary waste . These old computers are still useful. It seems like such a waste to throw them away. Any further investment would be a waste of valuable resources. The city oversees waste disposal contracts. Verb Don't waste water during the summer drought. He always wasted his money on useless gadgets. Turn off the lights so we don't waste electricity. I think he's just wasting my time. We can't afford to waste so much food. We can't afford to waste this opportunity. Adjective waste acreage that was not fit for anything See More Recent Examples on the Web Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback . Noun First, fiscal responsibility means protecting taxpayer dollars by funding core priorities Idahoans rely on, such as Infrastructure, public safety and education, while identifying waste , improving efficiency, and reducing the tax burden whenever possible. — Mark Dee may 3, Idaho Statesman , 3 May 2026 But in that towering proposal, experts say there’s obvious signs of waste and overspend. — Jake Angelo, Fortune , 3 May 2026 Verb Yet, because the program has not been adequately promoted, millions of Americans who could benefit from it simply never do, potential savings go unrealized and tax dollars are wasted . — French Hill, Baltimore Sun , 4 May 2026 This requires drivers to go to the nearest station, which wastes a lot of time for both drivers and officers. — Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune , 4 May 2026 Adjective Shards of glass and ceramic, rusted metal, medical and bio- waste , syringes, cracked circuit boards, and broken electronics protruded everywhere. — CNN Money , 15 Apr. 2026 Its 2020 anti- waste law requires unsold nonfood goods to be reused, donated or recycled instead of destroyed. — ABC News , 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for waste Word History Etymology Noun Middle English waste, wast ; in sense 1, from Anglo-French wast , from wast, gast, guast , adjective, desolate, waste, from Latin vastus ; in other senses, from Middle English wasten to waste — more at vast Verb Middle English, from Anglo-French waster, gaster , from Latin vastare , from vastus desolate, waste Adjective Middle English waste, wast , from Anglo-French wast First Known Use Noun 13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb 13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1 Adjective 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1) Time Traveler The first known use of waste was in the 13th century See more words from the same century Phrases Containing waste a waste of space e - waste go to waste haste makes waste lay waste to toxic waste toxic (waste) dump waste away waste bin waste disposal unit waste no time waste not, want not waste of money waste of time waste one's breath waste pipe waste product zero waste Rhymes for waste based baste braced cased chased chaste faced graced haste laced mayst paced See All Rhymes for waste Browse Nearby Words wastage waste waste away See all Nearby Words Articles Related to waste A List of Most Commonly Confused Words Your one-stop clarification shop Cite this Entry Style MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster “Waste.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waste. Accessed 5 May. 2026. Copy Citation Kids Definition waste 1 of 3 noun ˈwāst 1 a : a region that has few people or is empty of most signs of life : desert b : uncultivated land 2 a : the act or an instance of wasting b : the state of being wasted 3 a : material left over, rejected, or thrown away b : an unwanted product obtained in the course of a manufacturing or chemical process c : material (as carbon dioxide in the lungs or urine in the kidneys) produced in and of no further use to the living body waste 2 of 3 verb wasted ; wasting 1 : to destroy completely 2 : to wear away or grow smaller gradually 3 : to spend carelessly or uselessly : squander 4 : to lose or cause to lose weight, strength, or energy illness caused her to waste away waste 3 of 3 adjective 1 : being wild and without people or crops : desolate , barren 2 : being in a ruined condition 3 : thrown away as worthless after being used 4 : of no further use to a person, animal, or plant means by which the body gives off waste materials Medical Definition waste 1 of 3 noun ˈwāst 1 : loss through breaking down of bodily tissue 2 wastes plural : bodily waste materials : excrement waste 2 of 3 verb wasted ; wasting transitive verb : to cause to shrink in physical bulk or strength : emaciate intransitive verb : to lose weight, strength, or vitality — often used with away waste 3 of 3 adjective : excreted from or stored in inert form in a living body as a by-product of vital activity waste products Legal Definition waste noun 1 : destruction of or damage to property that is caused by the act or omission of one (as a lessee, mortgagor, or life tenant) having a lesser estate and is usually to the injury of another (as an heir, mortgagee, or remainderman) with an interest in the same property an action for waste — ameliorating waste \ ə-​ˈmēl-​yə-​ˌrā-​tiŋ-​ \ : waste that leads to improvement of property (as by clearing the way for rebuilding something) called also ameliorative waste — permissive waste : waste caused by the failure of a tenant to take ordinary or proper care of the property — voluntary waste : waste caused by the intentional commission of a destructive act by a tenant 2 : a reduction of the value of assets (as in a trust) caused by a failure to exercise proper care or sound judgment in managing them especially : a transfer of corporate assets (as through excessive executive compensation or a merger) for no legitimate business purpose or for less than what a person of ordinary sound business judgment would consider to be adequate consideration the essence of a claim of waste of corporate assets is the diversion of corporate assets for improper or unnecessary purposes — Michelson v. Duncan , 407 A.2d 211 (197