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

Cooling tower response The city has ordered immediate cleaning and disinfection of every cooling tower with a positive PCR result, a faster approach than waiting for confirmatory culture tests. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 11 July 2026

The canister treats the water as low contamination risk and proceeds to microbial disinfection. — Simon Heptinstall, New Atlas, 9 July 2026

According to The Guardian, unwell passengers and crew were isolated as disinfection took place. — Adam England, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026

The ship returned to San Francisco on Thursday and was undergoing cleaning and disinfection before departing for its next voyage in the afternoon, according to the spokesperson. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1722, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for disinfection

• circumspection
• disaffection
• disconnection
• dorsiflexion
• imperfection
• indirection
• insurrection
• intellection
• interjection
• intersection
• introjection
• introspection