disinfection

noun

dis·in·fec·tion ˌdis-in-ˈfek-shən

plural disinfections

: the act of disinfecting something

especially : the process of using a disinfectant to destroy, inactivate, or significantly reduce the concentration of pathogenic agents (such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi)

Both viruses are susceptible to disinfection by a weak solution of chlorine bleach. —

Margaret Reister

… a virulent strain of antibiotic-resistant bacteria spreads beyond hospital walls, some communities are taking extreme measures such as closing schools for disinfection. —

Laura Landro

Examples of disinfection in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Since the announcement last year, Paris has been working to improve the water quality, including by installing a pair of disinfection units. —

Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2024 Regulatory bodies are now setting standards for its use in public spaces, and industry players are working hard to come up with appropriate ways to deploy far-UVC disinfection. —

IEEE Spectrum, 8 Mar. 2023 The Great Lakes Water Authority also plans to conduct pressure testing and disinfection of the main on Friday and water quality testing early next week. —

Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 1 Feb. 2024 This includes distributing cholera prevention kits, decontaminating homes and communal latrines, and setting up hand disinfection stations. —

Maryanne Murray Buechner, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 In response the the outbreak, the CDC also confirmed in their statement that the Cunard Cruise Line and the crew aboard the ship have increased cleaning and disinfection procedures. —

Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 6 Feb. 2024 The 12-piece kit is equipped with bandaids of multiple sizes, gauze pads, and cleansing wipes for disinfection. —

Kaitlyn McInnis, Travel + Leisure, 23 Jan. 2024 Chlorine, a critical chemical used for drinking water, can break down over time if stagnant, causing disinfection byproducts that cause bad taste and odor. —

John Sabo, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2023 Tell them that the apartment below needs to be cleaned by a company that specializes in decomposition odor removal and disinfection, said Debra J. Guzov, a real estate lawyer in Manhattan. —

Jill Terreri Ramos, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disinfection.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.