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

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

As tradition requires, individuals who enlist in the military have to keep short hair for a variety of practical reasons, including for safety and cleanliness. —Dory Jackson, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025

The school is founded on Islamic principles and emphasizes the importance of being a global citizen, doing good to others, cleanliness and devotion. —Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 7 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cleanliness

• cleanliness is next to godliness