sanitary
Americanadjective
-
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
-
favorable to health; free from dirt, bacteria, etc..
a sanitary washroom.
- Synonyms:
- salutary, healthy, antiseptic, unpolluted, germfree, clean
- Antonyms:
- septic, polluted, unhealthy, unwholesome, unclean
-
providing healthy cleanliness.
a sanitary wrapper on all sandwiches.
adjective
-
of or relating to health and measures for the protection of health
-
conducive to or promoting health; free from dirt, germs, etc; hygienic
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sanitary
First recorded in 1835–45; from Latin sānit(ās) “health” ( see sanity) + -ary
Explanation
When something's sanitary, it's extremely clean. It's important for hospitals to be sanitary. The adjective sanitary is useful when you need something stronger than just "clean." Sanitary implies the absence of germs as well as a clean appearance — you probably hope that your favorite restaurant's kitchen is sanitary, and your visiting friends will appreciate your bathroom being sanitary as well. The origin of sanitary is the Latin word sanitas, or "health," from the root sanus, which means both "healthy" and "sane."
Vocabulary lists containing sanitary
Holes
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Theodore Roosevelt on "New Nationalism" (1910)
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List 5
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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.
Hundreds of volunteers hurried through the packed parking lot next to Bogota's largest stadium, forming human chains to pass donated water bottles, food provisions, sanitary products and bedding to the sorting area.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Three said they had contracted scabies—a skin disease associated with inadequate sanitary conditions that can become fatal if untreated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Hanoi's vibrant kerb culture has always had downsides -- traffic jams and noise complaints, safety and sanitary concerns.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
Litter picking team Porthcawl Wombles collected around 18 bags of rubbish on one morning in the town last week - even picking up items such as nappies and sanitary pads.
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
The protests of the workers this time were based on the lack of sanitary facilities in their living quarters, the nonexistence of medical services, and terrible working conditions.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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.
