sanitation
Americannoun
-
the development and application of sanitary measures for the sake of cleanliness, protecting health, etc.
-
the disposal of sewage and solid waste.
noun
Etymology
Origin of sanitation
First recorded in 1840–50; sanit(ary) + -ation
Explanation
Sanitation has to do with making things clean, especially by sterilizing. Have you ever used hand sanitizer to make sure your hands are germ-free? Then you should have an idea what sanitation is: making something clean (sanitary). Sanitation workers pick up your garbage, keeping your neighborhood clean. Sanitation is important in restaurants and also for surgical instruments. You wouldn't want a surgeon to touch you with an instrument that hadn't gone through sanitation, because it would probably have germs.
Vocabulary lists containing sanitation
Africa - Introductory
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Africa - Middle School
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Africa - High School
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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.
Baum has also enrolled in the Sanitation Foundation’s NYC Trash Academy, a course on how trash affects climate, public health and city neighborhoods.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026
He said the main hold up has been with other city agencies — Water and Power, Public Works and Sanitation.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025
Sanitation services aren’t an everyday conversation topic in most places.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2025
Sanitation officials say that Angelenos who prefer smaller, more manageable containers should fill out a form to get a 30- or 60-gallon replacement.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 16, 2025
She concludes the list with, “And of course we thank our anonymous contributor of, ahem, supplies, for the Home Help Sanitation Initiative.”
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
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.
