hygiene

noun

hy·​giene ˈhī-ˌjēn How to pronounce hygiene (audio)
 also  hī-ˈjēn
1
: a science of the establishment and maintenance of health
2
: conditions or practices (as of cleanliness) conducive to health
has poor personal hygiene
Brushing your teeth regularly is an important part of good oral hygiene.
see also feminine hygiene
hygienist noun

Examples of hygiene in a Sentence

Poor sanitation and hygiene caused many of the soldiers to get sick. He has very poor personal hygiene. Brushing your teeth regularly is an important part of good dental hygiene.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Perhaps the safety of protecting your pants from spills is prioritized over cup-lip hygiene. Judith Martin, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025 Items in Gaza -- including food, clean water, medicine and hygiene products -- are running low, the organizations say. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2025 That’s money lost not to bad algorithms, but to bad information hygiene. Adam Mills, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025 Japan has just taken personal hygiene to a whole new level. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hygiene

Word History

Etymology

French hygiène & New Latin hygieina, from Greek, neuter plural of hygieinos healthful, from hygiēs healthy; akin to Sanskrit su well and to Latin vivus living — more at quick entry 1

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hygiene was in 1671

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hygiene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hygiene. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

hygiene

noun
hy·​giene ˈhī-ˌjēn How to pronounce hygiene (audio)
1
: a science that deals with the bringing about and keeping up of good health in individuals and groups
2
: conditions or practices (as of cleanliness) that are aids to good health

Medical Definition

hygiene

noun
hy·​giene
ˈhī-ˌjēn also hī-ˈ
1
: a science of the establishment and maintenance of health see industrial hygiene, mental hygiene
2
: conditions or practices (as of cleanliness) conducive to health

More from Merriam-Webster on hygiene

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