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 , cleanly ( def. ), -ness ( def. )
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.
“In terms of cleanliness, I’ve had to change the leadership of the Department of Sanitation, because I couldn’t get the job done,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
The initial idea came from a personal interest Rigden had in watching YouTube videos of people power washing and the "simplicity of seeing dirt turn to cleanliness".
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
The country boasts a modern highway network, efficient public transportation, widespread high-speed internet, and safety and cleanliness in public spaces.
From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026
Market-research firm Technomic said that diners are noticing the changes, with opinions of Chili’s decor, cleanliness and ambience all improved from a year ago.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025
The boy put his nose against her neck and inhaled that unknown perfume of cleanliness and wellbeing; without knowing why, his eyes filled with tears.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
