disinfectant
Americannoun
-
disinfectants
plural
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of disinfectant
1830–40; < French désinfectant, noun use of present participle of désinfecter, Middle French. See disinfect, -ant
Explanation
If you need to clean a nasty mess, grab some disinfectant. It's a powerful cleanser that kills bacteria. Disinfectant is a chemical that can destroy dangerous microorganisms — using it is the next best thing to sterilization. If someone in your family has had the flu, it makes sense to use a disinfectant when you clean the bathroom, just in case there are lingering germs on the doorknobs and faucets. Disinfectants are similar to antibiotics and antiseptics, except they're used on objects and surfaces rather than on (or in) our bodies.
Vocabulary lists containing disinfectant
Earthquake Terror
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Free Period
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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.
See Examples For:
At Kampala’s Mirembe food market, where stalls overflow with watermelons and green bananas, fish vendor Medie Waiswa uses disinfectant every morning to clean his countertop, storage cabinet, chairs and motorcycle handlebars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
I believe a little sunlight would be a great disinfectant.
From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2026
"We have nothing to hide. We have called for the full release of these files repeatedly. We think sunlight is the best disinfectant."
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026
At 7:00 am, relatives brought packages: deodorant, toothpaste, soap and shampoo in labeled plastic bags, plus disinfectant and bleach -- provisions essential for maintaining hygiene in the latrines of tiny cells.
From Barron's ● Jan. 10, 2026
She rinsed her glove and arm in the disinfectant, and they came up clean and shiny wet.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
She said the overflowing and soiled bathrooms were so disgusting that she had to use the little money she had on her to purchase bleach and disinfectants for her family.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
Bacteria and viruses can hide inside amoebae, where they may be shielded from disinfectants and other treatment methods.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 6, 2026
Inside the amoeba, these pathogens can survive in a kind of safe shelter, shielded from disinfectants that would normally destroy them.
From Science Daily ● May 2, 2026
Most common disinfectants do not kill C. auris, which can live on surfaces for weeks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2025
Father set down his box of ammonia and disinfectants.
From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep
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.
