sanitize

American  

[san-i-tahyz] / ˈsæn ɪˌtaɪz /

especially British, sanitise

verb (used with object)

sanitized, sanitizing

1. to free from dirt, germs, etc., as by cleaning or sterilizing.

2. to make less offensive by eliminating anything unwholesome, objectionable, incriminating, etc..

   to sanitize a document before releasing it to the press.

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sanitize British  

/ ˈsænɪˌtaɪz /

verb

1. to make sanitary or hygienic, as by sterilizing

2. to omit unpleasant details from (a news report, document, etc) to make it more palatable to the recipients

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Other Word Forms

• sanitization noun
• unsanitized adjective

Etymology

Origin of sanitize

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

Example Sentences

Instead of choosing something sanitized, I blurted out my actual most embarrassing moment.

From The Wall Street Journal

But Mr. Stern’s point is made: The effort to sanitize warfare doesn’t succeed, no matter how advanced the technology becomes.

From The Wall Street Journal

He’s a little too awful for me, but I do think we could use less sanitized heroes and heroines in modern love stories.

From Los Angeles Times

Since the late 1970s, a number of biographies of Mansfield have sought to dismantle the sanitized version of her life promoted by Murry, and a scholarly industry devoted to restoring her unadulterated voice has flourished.

From The Wall Street Journal

He didn’t notice that they’d gone through another set of sliding glass doors until the puff of sanitizing air hit his skin again.

From Literature

Related Words

• decontaminate
• disinfect