disinfect

American  

[dis-in-fekt] / ˌdɪs ɪnˈfɛkt /

verb (used with object)

• disinfects,
  present (3rd person singular)
• disinfected,
  past participle,  past
• disinfecting
  present participle

1. to cleanse (rooms, wounds, clothing, etc.) of infection; destroy disease germs in.

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disinfect British  

/ ˌdɪsɪnˈfɛkt /

verb

1. (tr) to rid of microorganisms potentially harmful to man, esp by chemical means

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Usage

What does disinfect mean? Disinfect means to clean something of infection by killing or preventing the growth of disease-causing germs, as in You want to disinfect your countertop after having raw meat on it to kill harmful bacteria like E. coli. Disease-causing microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses (often referred to as germs) can live on surfaces or enter into open wounds. When you disinfect something, you are either directly killing the germs or making it harder for the germs to spread or survive. The noun disinfection refers to the act of disinfecting, as in The contaminated clothing was marked for disinfection. A chemical that is used to disinfect something is referred to as a disinfectant. Bleach is commonly used as a disinfectant in households. Example: The janitor disinfected the table using a cleaning chemical designed to kill germs.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• disinfection
  noun
• disinfector
  noun
• redisinfect
  verb (used with object)
• disinfective
  adjective
• undisinfected
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• disinfecting
  present
• disinfected
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• disinfect
  simple
• disinfects
  simple
• have disinfected
  perfect
• has disinfected
  perfect
• am disinfecting
  progressive
• are disinfecting
  progressive
• is disinfecting
  progressive
• have been disinfecting
  perfect progressive
• has been disinfecting
  perfect progressive

Past

• disinfected
  simple
• had disinfected
  perfect
• was disinfecting
  progressive
• were disinfecting
  progressive
• had been disinfecting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will disinfect
  simple
• will have disinfected
  perfect
• will be disinfecting
  progressive
• will have been disinfecting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of disinfect

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Middle French desinfecter, equivalent to des- dis- ¹ + infecter “to die, taint, poison”; see infect

Explanation

To disinfect something is to clean it so thoroughly that you kill any bacteria that might have been living on it. It's particularly important to disinfect cuts and scratches. You can disinfect your kitchen counters with cleaning products, or disinfect a scrape by washing it with soap and water. Public swimming pools have chlorine added to their water to disinfect them, and bleach is a good all-purpose chemical used to disinfect floors, laundry, and other things that might be harboring nasty bugs. Infect comes from a Latin root word, inficere, "to spoil or stain." Adding the prefix dis-, "do the opposite of," gives you disinfect.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

disinfect disinfects disinfected disinfecting

You never know when you might need to patch up a cut, disinfect a wound, or even help an injured traveler on the side of the road.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

Workers will then disinfect the repaired section with chlorine, test the water quality, then dechlorinate the water and discharge it into a storm drain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Garry now starts work at 7am every day to disinfect floors, surfaces and chairs.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

Greater transparency and clarity are urgently needed to disinfect the greenwashing fraud of many ESG initiatives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 16, 2026

I try to avoid public restrooms except in emergencies, but if I do need to go, I disinfect the toilet seat.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

Lewis also notes that hydrogen peroxide “eliminates urine odors and disinfects the base of toilets and around the bowl.”

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 16, 2024

Back in his studio he disinfects and washes his findings before cutting them up and pasting them on a board to create a face on each one.

From Reuters ● Feb. 3, 2023

Young kids are often eye-level with items on counters and under kitchen and bathroom sinks, so keep cleaning supplies, disinfects and hand sanitizers where children can’t reach them or see them.

From Fox News ● Sep. 16, 2021

When they stand up, someone immediately disinfects the seat and touch-screen pad with bleach wipes.

From Washington Times ● Feb. 9, 2021

Professor Ross has made the penetrating observation that "distance disinfects dividends"; it also weakens individual responsibility, particularly on the part of the very managers of large business, who should feel it most acutely.

From Theodore Roosevelt; an Autobiography by Theodore Roosevelt

Each boat considered at risk is disinfected by teams who wear whole face masks and boots.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Oceanwide’s Hondius will be cleaned and disinfected in the Netherlands, with crew and staff quarantining, but the company hasn’t planned future sailing cancellations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026

Passengers are being asked to remain in their cabins while the ship is disinfected and personal protective equipment is handed out.

From MarketWatch ● May 5, 2026

Bowls, toys, refrigerators, countertops and other pet products that came into contact with the food should also be thoroughly disinfected.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2024

I thought we were going to kick back, shoot the bull and watch a movie, but JonPaul couldn’t relax until he’d disinfected his gym clothes.

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen

The MV Hondius, the ship where the outbreak occurred, will undergo cleaning and disinfecting after it arrives in the Netherlands Monday, the company said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026

Haidilao has apologised to customers, saying it has replaced all hotpot equipment and dining utensils, as well as disinfecting other crockery and utensils.

From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2025

They included several types of phthalates, chemicals used to make plastics flexible; chloroform, a toxic byproduct from disinfecting water with chlorine; and toluene, a hazardous substance found in vehicle exhaust.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2024

“We've also started frequently washing hands, disinfecting surfaces and avoiding crowded indoor places.”

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2024

When he was done disinfecting his hands, he pulled a bottle out of his backpack and swallowed a couple of vitamins.

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen

Related Words

• cleanse
• decontaminate
• sanitize
• sterilize