sanitation

noun san·i·ta·tion \ ˌsa-nə-ˈtā-shən \

Updated on: 10 May 2018

Definition of sanitation

1 : the act or process of making sanitary

2 : the promotion of hygiene and prevention of disease by maintenance of sanitary conditions (as by removal of sewage and trash) —often used attributively

a sanitation truck

sanitation workers

See sanitation defined for English-language learners

See sanitation defined for kids

Examples of sanitation in a Sentence

Diseases can spread from poor sanitation.

Recent Examples of sanitation from the Web

Cheers and tears filled Clayborn Temple as former sanitation worker and union leader T.O. Jones stood before his men and declared victory.

— kirsten west savali, The Root, "Watch: The Memphis Sanitation Strike Ends," 18 Apr. 2018
At the epicenter was Memphis, where King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, while in town for a sanitation workers' strike.

— the washington post, cleveland.com, "Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg to Capitol Hill: 'It was my mistake, and I'm sorry.'," 9 Apr. 2018
This thread of challenging constraints to political imagination connects King’s work from Montgomery’s bus boycott to the Memphis sanitation workers strike.

— time staff, Time, "10 Historians on What People Still Don't Know About Martin Luther King Jr.," 4 Apr. 2018
His sharply focused economic agenda drove his Poor People’s Campaign and the decision to support the striking Memphis sanitation workers.

— cindy george, Houston Chronicle, "Martin Luther King Jr.’s death left Houston shocked but resolved for change," 4 Apr. 2018
Just four days after her husband’s assassination, Coretta Scott King led the Memphis sanitation worker’s march in his place.

— j. scott applewhite, National Geographic, "What If Martin Luther King Jr. Were Never Assassinated?," 4 Apr. 2018
The issue is the refusal of Memphis to be fair and honest in its dealings with its public servants, who happen to be sanitation workers.

— CNN, "Here is the speech Martin Luther King Jr. gave the night before he died," 4 Apr. 2018
The rain that moved Tuesday night’s gathering to Town Hall mirrored the stormy weather that served as a backdrop to King’s off-the-cuff speech in Memphis 50 years ago before 2,000 protesters advocating better pay for sanitation workers.

— mikaela porter, Courant Community, "Nearly 200 Attend 50th Anniversary Reading Of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Final Speech," 4 Apr. 2018
The march was led by sanitation workers union members — whose low pay brought King to the city 50 years ago.

— john bacon, USA TODAY, "'There's been an awakening': Rallies mark 50th anniversary of King's death," 4 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sanitation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of sanitation

1848

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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SANITATION Defined for English Language Learners

sanitation

noun

Definition of sanitation for English Language Learners

: the process of keeping places free from dirt, infection, disease, etc., by removing waste, trash and garbage, by cleaning streets, etc.

SANITATION Defined for Kids

sanitation

noun san·i·ta·tion \ ˌsa-nə-ˈtā-shən \

Definition of sanitation for Students

: the act or process of making or keeping things free from filth, infection, or other dangers to health

Medical Dictionary

sanitation

noun san·i·ta·tion \ ˌsan-ə-ˈtā-shən \

medical Definition of sanitation

1 : the act or process of making sanitary

2 : the promotion of hygiene and prevention of disease by maintenance of sanitary conditions

mouth sanitation

Learn More about sanitation

See words that rhyme with sanitation Spanish Central: Translation of sanitation Nglish: Translation of sanitation for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sanitation for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sanitation

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sanitation

Definition of sanitation

Examples of sanitation in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sanitation from the Web

First Known Use of sanitation

SANITATION Defined for English Language Learners

sanitation

Definition of sanitation for English Language Learners

SANITATION Defined for Kids

sanitation

Definition of sanitation for Students

Medical Dictionary

sanitation

medical Definition of sanitation

Learn More about sanitation

Seen and Heard

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sanitation

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First Known Use of sanitation

SANITATION Defined for English Language Learners

sanitation

Definition of sanitation for English Language Learners

SANITATION Defined for Kids

sanitation

Definition of sanitation for Students

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sanitation

medical Definition of sanitation

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