cleanliness
Americannoun
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the quality, state, or habit of being cleanly, or keeping oneself clean and neat.
personal cleanliness.
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the quality, state, or habit of being kept clean, as a place or object.
the cleanliness of the restaurant.
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the state or quality of being morally pure or upright.
spiritual cleanliness.
Etymology
Origin of cleanliness
First recorded in 1425–75; Middle English clenlynesse, clenlines , see origin at cleanly ( def. ), -ness ( def. )
Explanation
Cleanliness is a habit of staying neat and tidy, or sterile. Cleanliness in your bedroom is nice, but cleanliness in a hospital operating room is critical. If your friend remarks on the cleanliness of your locker, it's probably because of your thoughtful, color-coordinated organizational system. And if that same friend questions the cleanliness of your socks, it's probably because your feet smell terrible. Cleric John Wesley, one of the founders of Methodism, is famous for the line, "Cleanliness is next to Godliness," implying that how clean or dirty you are is a reflection of your moral character.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To this day, all orders are custom-made and nothing is frozen, a practice that stays true to the founding couple’s promise of “Quality, Cleanliness and Service.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
The movement he founded in 1993, Safai Karmachari Andolan, or Campaign of the Cleanliness Workers, is now one of the largest organizations in India fighting against caste discrimination.
From New York Times • Feb. 2, 2024
Cleanliness has historically been used as a cultural gatekeeping mechanism to reinforce status distinctions based on a vague understanding of "niceness": Nice people, with nice yards, in nice houses, make for nice neighborhoods.
From Salon • Mar. 14, 2023
Cleanliness is the most common source of friction for Gordon’s clients.
From Washington Post • Aug. 11, 2022
Cleanliness was a priority, as was ample space for marching, which he practiced regularly and often.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
