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.
It wasn’t all that long ago that dark meat was unpopular across certain swaths of American culinary culture, owing to popular misconceptions about its healthiness, cleanliness and quality.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 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
Following the inspection, the FSA said the restaurant's management of food safety required "major improvement", while the cleanliness and condition of facilities and the building also needed improvement.
From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026
Last week the imam had talked for more than an hour about Allah’s love for cleanliness and purity of both body and soul.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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.
