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.
For roughly two centuries, human life expectancy climbed steadily as medicine, sanitation, nutrition, and healthcare improved.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
"It's not an easy task," acknowledged Yaya Doumbia, first deputy mayor of Yopougon, Abidjan's biggest district and a hotspot for informal enterprise, where authorities have created a "sanitation brigade".
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
In July, a federal judge ordered ICE to institute sweeping changes at the Adelanto center, mandating improvements in the provision of water, food, sanitation and medical care.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Conditions aboard the ship have included poor sanitation, infrequent ports-of-call, broken plumbing and shortages of fresh food, according to reports last week in the Military Times and Stars & Stripes.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
She walked down the street talking to tourists, sanitation workers, and homeless people, waving her cane at every person she passed, saying, “Hi there, how y’all doin?” again and again.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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.
