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.
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
“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
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
The phenomenon is ironic, said Ric Bessin, a professor of entomology at the University of Kentucky, since ladybugs have traditionally been a symbol of cleanliness and order.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2025
Can I then say that the America I saw has put cleanliness first, at the expense of taste?
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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.
