sanitation
noun
san·i·ta·tion
ˌsa-nə-ˈtā-shən 
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 before another noun
a sanitation truck
sanitation workers
Examples of sanitation in a Sentence
Diseases can spread from poor sanitation.
Recent Examples on the Web
More than 135,000 people are sheltering in over 660 collective sites, while essential services—water, sanitation, and schooling—are being severely disrupted.
—
Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Food production, sanitation services, water purification, healthcare services, and more would be greatly diminished, if not stopped entirely.
—Connor Okeeffe, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
The September plan called for expanding services to address homelessness and addiction, a greater police presence, more street lighting and sanitation, and implementation of a Vacant to Vibrant pop-up business model popularized in San Francisco (and written about by my colleague Roger Vincent).
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Most of these shelters, frequently schools, are stretched beyond their capacity and overcrowded, limiting access to sanitation and exacerbating the stress and trauma of displacement.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sanitation
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.
Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Food production, sanitation services, water purification, healthcare services, and more would be greatly diminished, if not stopped entirely.
—Connor Okeeffe, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
The September plan called for expanding services to address homelessness and addiction, a greater police presence, more street lighting and sanitation, and implementation of a Vacant to Vibrant pop-up business model popularized in San Francisco (and written about by my colleague Roger Vincent).
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Most of these shelters, frequently schools, are stretched beyond their capacity and overcrowded, limiting access to sanitation and exacerbating the stress and trauma of displacement.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sanitation
Cite this Entry
“Sanitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sanitation. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sanitation
noun
san·i·ta·tion
ˌsan-ə-ˈtā-shən
1
: the act or process of making sanitary
2
: the promotion of community hygiene and disease prevention especially by keeping up sewage systems, by collecting and disposing of trash and garbage, and by cleaning streets
Medical Definition
sanitation
noun
san·i·ta·tion
ˌsan-ə-ˈtā-shən
1
: the act or process of making sanitary
2
: the promotion of hygiene and prevention of disease by maintenance of sanitary conditions
mouth sanitation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
