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: unpolluted, antiseptic, germfree, clean

   Antonyms: septic, polluted, unhealthy, unwholesome, unclean

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

   a sanitary washroom.

   Synonyms: unpolluted, salutary, healthy, antiseptic, 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

Derived Forms

• ˈsanitarily, adverb
• ˈsanitariness, noun

Other Words From

• sani·tari·ly adverb
• sani·tari·ness noun
• pre·sani·tary 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

Making period products—as well as access to clean underwear and sanitary facilities—available to all is a step in the right direction, experts told Popular Science.

From Popular-Science

In general, the definition of sanitary products should be expanded beyond what you see in the tampon aisle, Sommer says.

From Popular-Science

Scotland made history last month when its parliament passed a law that gives women a legal right to sufficient sanitary supplies.

From Fortune

These included forms attesting to an animal’s behavior and its ability to either avoid relieving itself for the duration of the flight or to do so in a sanitary manner.

From Outside Online

If the animal will be traveling on a long flight, the person it is traveling with must verify “it will not relieve itself or is able to do so in a sanitary manner.”

From Washington Post

He crosses the street and begins sweeping in front of the Sanitary Bedding Company.

From The Daily Beast

When FLOs purchase a toilet, they agree to keep it well-stocked with sanitary products like toilet paper and soap.

From The Daily Beast

Some churches consider intinction a more sanitary method, but only when done by a member of the clergy.

From The Daily Beast

The overlap of the religious rite with cold and flu season raises an uncomfortable question: Is receiving Communion sanitary?

From The Daily Beast

Sanitary operations alone required 7,400 Port-a-Potties that collected the equivalent of three Olympic-size pools of pee.

From The Daily Beast

The sanitary effect upon the festering disputes of our time would be incalculably great.

From Project Gutenberg

Most of the sanitary improvements and the educational, all schemes for parks and better streets, come from them.

From Project Gutenberg

"Heavens knows what we have swallowed," muttered Gwynne, who had served on sanitary boards and heard much talk of germs.

From Project Gutenberg

Here were good beds, nourishing food, delicacies from the stores of the Christian and Sanitary Commissions, and kind attention.

From Project Gutenberg

It was designed to show the sanitary construction of the Wallingham refrigerator.

From Project Gutenberg