cleanliness

American  

[klen-lee-nis] / ˈklɛn li nɪs /

noun

1. the quality, state, or habit of being cleanly, or keeping oneself clean and neat.

   personal cleanliness.

2. the quality, state, or habit of being kept clean, as a place or object.

   the cleanliness of the restaurant.

3. the state or quality of being morally pure or upright.

   spiritual cleanliness.

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Etymology

Origin of cleanliness

First recorded in 1425–75; Middle English clenlynesse, clenlines , cleanly ( def. ), -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

But critics accuse her of merely shifting traffic elsewhere, while also allowing security, cleanliness and public transport to deteriorate.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

You may find yourself pantomiming with one of your feet to your children in the persona of “Mr. Stinkyfoot,” a somewhat boorish Frenchman who espouses the importance of cleanliness and the needs for a bath.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 8, 2026

“We have an unacceptable number of people who are unhoused. We have affordability issues. I’d say city cleanliness is on the decline. We are not well prepared for disasters, as was clearly seen last year.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2026

Other areas for improvement include flushing of infrequently used water outlets and improvements in the cleanliness of patient equipment.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

If cleanliness is next to godliness, then whenever we had company my mother became a goddess.

From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat

Related Words

• freshness
• purity
• sanitation