sanitary

[san-i-ter-ee]

adjective

1. of or relating to health or the conditions affecting health, especially with reference to cleanliness, precautions against disease, etc.

   Synonyms: antiseptic, unpolluted, germfree, clean
   Antonyms: septic, polluted, unhealthy, unwholesome, unclean

2. favorable to health; free from dirt, bacteria, etc..

   a sanitary washroom.

   Synonyms: salutary, healthy, antiseptic, unpolluted, germfree, clean
   Antonyms: septic, polluted, unhealthy, unwholesome, unclean

3. providing healthy cleanliness.

   a sanitary wrapper on all sandwiches.

sanitary

/ -trɪ, ˈsænɪtərɪ /

adjective

1. of or relating to health and measures for the protection of health

2. conducive to or promoting health; free from dirt, germs, etc; hygienic

Other Word Forms

• sanitarily adverb
• sanitariness noun
• presanitary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sanitary¹

First recorded in 1835–45; from Latin sānit(ās) “health” ( sanity ) + -ary

Word History and Origins

Origin of sanitary¹

C19: from French sanitaire, from Latin sānitās health

Synonym Study

Sanitary, hygienic agree in being concerned with health. Sanitary refers more especially to conditions affecting health or measures for guarding against infection or disease: to insure sanitary conditions in preparing food. Hygienic is applied to whatever concerns the care of the body and the promotion of health: to live in hygienic surroundings with plenty of fresh air.

Example Sentences

The coaches at Sleaford Town Juniors, who make free sanitary products available to female players, said the importance of sports bras had "become more of an issue".

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Ms Zinovkina, who insisted the drugs were planted on her, described the sanitary conditions as "appalling" and "horrific".

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Detainees, it said, are held in extremely crowded cells for days without bedding, sanitary products or sufficient food and water.

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John spoke to both daughters about what they might experience, the level of pain they could be in and the various sanitary product options.

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But when he went inside their hotels, he says, he found "really bad" food and conditions - with toilet rolls, sanitary products and some food allegedly rationed.

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