cleanliness

American  

[klen-lee-nis] / ˈklɛn li nɪs /

noun

1. the quality, state, or habit of being cleanly, or keeping oneself clean and neat.

   personal cleanliness.

2. the quality, state, or habit of being kept clean, as a place or object.

   the cleanliness of the restaurant.

3. the state or quality of being morally pure or upright.

   spiritual cleanliness.

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Etymology

Origin of cleanliness

First recorded in 1425–75; Middle English clenlynesse, clenlines , cleanly ( def. ), -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

Shoppers surveyed at those stores have reported better cleanliness and more team-member availability, and fewer items are out of stock, McCarthy said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The phenomenon is ironic, said Ric Bessin, a professor of entomology at the University of Kentucky, since ladybugs have traditionally been a symbol of cleanliness and order.

From The Wall Street Journal

Market-research firm Technomic said that diners are noticing the changes, with opinions of Chili’s decor, cleanliness and ambience all improved from a year ago.

From The Wall Street Journal

Purity is usually associated with ideas about cleanliness, sanctity or avoiding contamination – so finding that it is associated with negative views about wealth gives new meaning to the phrase “filthy rich.”

From Salon

"A lot of people do associate OCD with cleanliness, and being clean, and getting all your socks in a certain order. It's so much more than that."

From BBC

Related Words

• freshness
• purity
• sanitation