cleanliness
noun
clean·li·ness
ˈklen-lē-nəs 
: the quality or state of being clean : the practice of keeping oneself or one's surroundings clean
Though a stale remark, it can hardly be said too often, that personal cleanliness is one of the necessary agents to health …—
Walt Whitman
Walt WhitmanThe Romans spent hours at their elaborate bathhouse complexes, but not everyone equated cleanliness with virtue …—Sara Ivry
Sara IvryThis cleanliness is necessary to ensure that no dust or particles end up on the silicon surface during the processing of the chip.—Robert J. Cone
Robert J. ConeExamples of cleanliness in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Investment in store labor has also driven better cleanliness and inventory flow, according to the analyst.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
The city’s online scorecards show perceptions of the cities’ cleanliness and downtown vibrancy are improving, but the city is more than 3,000 units short of demand to shelter homeless people and construction of affordable and market rate housing has also fallen short of goals.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2026
The index looks at factors like store locations, cleanliness, order pickup and food freshness to determine customer satisfaction.
—Annasofia Scheve, San Antonio Express-News, 31 Jan. 2026
Never mind the long history of regulation dictating what goes on inside factories—emergency exits in clothing factories, cleanliness standards in meatpacking facilities, and so on.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cleanliness
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
The city’s online scorecards show perceptions of the cities’ cleanliness and downtown vibrancy are improving, but the city is more than 3,000 units short of demand to shelter homeless people and construction of affordable and market rate housing has also fallen short of goals.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2026
The index looks at factors like store locations, cleanliness, order pickup and food freshness to determine customer satisfaction.
—Annasofia Scheve, San Antonio Express-News, 31 Jan. 2026
Never mind the long history of regulation dictating what goes on inside factories—emergency exits in clothing factories, cleanliness standards in meatpacking facilities, and so on.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cleanliness
Cite this Entry
“Cleanliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleanliness. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
