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Synonyms

unsanitary

American  
[uhn-san-i-ter-ee] / ʌnˈsæn ɪˌtɛr i /

adjective

  1. not sanitary; unhealthy or unhealthful; tending to harbor or spread disease.

    unsanitary living conditions.
unsanitary British  
/ ʌnˈsænɪtərɪ, -trɪ /

adjective

  1. not conducive to or promoting health; dirty or unhygienic

"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

Other Word Forms

  • unsanitarily adverb

Etymology

Origin of unsanitary

First recorded in 1870–75; un- 1 + sanitary

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.

Around the tents, workers are busy renovating the unsanitary restrooms, installing showers and connecting them to the water supply, and hooking up electricity.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Their family say the cells are overcrowded, unsanitary and vermin-infested, with inadequate washing facilities and hygiene supplies.

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025

When Antoniadi failed to give them anything, they declared that this spotless Pizza Hut was unsanitary.

From Slate • Nov. 13, 2025

With its descriptions of cattle with tuberculosis being slaughtered and workers with other diseases handling meat, “The Jungle” sparked an outcry about unsanitary and unsafe conditions in the meat industry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 12, 2025

The toilet consisted of a hole in the ground, unsanitary and smelly.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

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.