sanitary

American  

[san-i-ter-ee] / ˈsæn ɪˌtɛr i /

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.

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sanitary British  

/ -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

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Related Words

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

• presanitary adjective
• sanitarily adverb
• sanitariness noun

Etymology

Origin of sanitary

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

Example Sentences

Unicharm has been able to recycle these materials into products with less rigorous sanitary requirements, like toilet paper.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

"I had to go into the dressing room and say I have had my first period has anyone got any sort of sanitary products. Being 13 and going through that."

From BBC • Dec. 30, 2025

Kurita and Organo are purer plays on fab buildouts; Ecolab still makes most of its money keeping restaurant kitchens sanitary, while Xylem sells a lot of municipal pumps.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 12, 2025

It has taken a $380 million World Bank loan to build schools, hospitals, and sanitary facilities in crowded camps and host communities.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

Drag him out to the edge of the hammock which was far enough off to satisfy sanitary conditions in the town.

From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston