antiseptic

American  

[an-tuh-sep-tik] / ˌæn təˈsɛp tɪk /

adjective

1. pertaining to or affecting antisepsis.

2. free from or cleaned of germs and other microorganisms.

3. exceptionally clean or neat.

4. free of contamination or pollution.

---

noun

1. an antiseptic agent.

antiseptic British  

/ ˌæntɪˈsɛptɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or effecting antisepsis

2. entirely free from contamination

3. informal lacking spirit or excitement; clinical

---

noun

1. an antiseptic agent or substance

antiseptic Scientific  

/ ăn′tĭ-sĕp′tĭk /

1. A substance that inhibits the proliferation of infectious microorganisms.

---

Other Word Forms

• antiseptically adverb

Etymology

Origin of antiseptic

First recorded in 1745–55; anti- + septic

Example Sentences

He’s about to schlep through a 162-game season with them: plane trips, batting practice, 1 a.m. room service steak dinners in antiseptic luxury hotels.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

The early embrace of sunshine as an antiseptic, formalized in New York’s wedding cake towers that were required to step back gradually from the street, soon morphed into a generalized opposition to tall buildings.

From Slate • Jul. 23, 2025

But these once surefire hits have never been so limp and antiseptic.

From Salon • Jul. 7, 2025

Then, later that day, when Megumi, a relative newbie at the sport, cut her hand on the wall, Gordon jumped in to offer her an antiseptic wipe.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2024

He smelled the sea air, the warm bread, the antiseptic from his bandaged thumb, and then he saw her—Desdemona, sitting on the suitcase where he’d left her— and felt even happier.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• hygienic
• sterile