sanitize

[san-i-tahyz]

See more synonyms for sanitize on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), san·i·tized, san·i·tiz·ing.

to free from dirt, germs, etc., as by cleaning or sterilizing.
to make less offensive by eliminating anything unwholesome, objectionable, incriminating, etc.: to sanitize a document before releasing it to the press.

Also especially British, san·i·tise.

Origin of sanitize

First recorded in 1830–40; sanit(ary) + -ize

Related formssan·i·ti·za·tion, nounun·san·i·tized, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for sanitize

disinfect, decontaminate, freshen, fumigate, clean, purify, antisepticize

Examples from the Web for sanitize

Contemporary Examples of sanitize

After their poop is collected, it is run under a UV light to sanitize it.
I Got a $180 Bird-Poop Facial
Kelsey Meany
August 6, 2013
You would try to wash them; you would try to sanitize them in some way.
Be Afraid of Your Food: An Epidemiologist’s Sensible Advice
Amanda Kludt
March 16, 2013

British Dictionary definitions for sanitize

sanitize

sanitise

verb (tr)

to make sanitary or hygienic, as by sterilizing
to omit unpleasant details from (a news report, document, etc) to make it more palatable to the recipients

Derived Formssanitization or sanitisation, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for sanitize

1836, from stem of sanitary + -ize. Metaphoric sense is from 1934. Related: Sanitized; sanitizing.