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

The Romans spent hours at their elaborate bathhouse complexes, but not everyone equated cleanliness with virtue …

—Sara Ivry

This 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

Examples of cleanliness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Swimming in the Venice canals is prohibited for a variety of reasons, including the intense boat traffic and the cleanliness — or lack thereof — of the water, according to the city’s tourism ministry. —Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025

Before cleanliness, security should be your number one priority. —Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2025

Look around at the freshness of other dishes on display, and the cleanliness of the store's prep area. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025

An obsession with cleanliness was one of the things my proud mother relegated to middle-class anxiety. —Rachel Kushner, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cleanliness

• cleanliness is next to godliness