This noun denotes religious contamination or defilement, particularly from idol worship. In Acts 15:20, the Jerusalem Council instructs Gentile believers to abstain from pollutions of idols. The term carries strong cultic overtones of ritual impurity. While rare in classical Greek, the context and multilingual glosses (Spanish 'contaminaciones', French 'souiller') emphasize ceremonial contamination rather than physical dirt. The decree addresses how Gentile converts should navigate pagan religious practices without compromising monotheistic purity.