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

According to Thrive Tokyo, Japanese culture values cleanliness and tidiness highly. —MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025

Top red flags related to cleanliness include a dirty bathroom, dishes or takeout boxes everywhere, no shower curtain, having a mattress on the floor, and clothes on the floor. —Essence, 23 Oct. 2025

Flies on food, and violations of basic restaurant cleanliness and food safety shut down a Miami Gardens restaurant and nightclub after a state inspection last week. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2025

There’s little of that cleanliness here. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cleanliness

• cleanliness is next to godliness