sanitizer

noun

san·​i·​tiz·​er ˈsa-nə-ˌtī-zər 

plural sanitizers

: a substance or product that is used to reduce or eliminate pathogenic agents (such as bacteria) on surfaces

Sales of alcohol-based hand sanitizers were up nearly 17% as of the first week of September compared to the same period last year …

—Laura Landro

"Carvacrol could potentially be used as a food sanitizer … particularly in conjunction with other antimicrobials," says Kelly Bright, associate research scientist in the department of soil, water, and environmental science at the University of Arizona.

—Daniel Stolt

also : a device used in sanitizing

This ozone-generating sanitizer looks like a miniature tanning bed for your manual toothbrush—and it emits ultraviolet light (UV) to kill 99.9 percent of brush germs.

—Malinda Govoni

Among the equipment that impressed him: … A wall-mounted food sanitizer that diverts water from the sink tap and charges it with ozone before dispensing it through the aerator for produce cleaning.

—Howard Riell

Examples of sanitizer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Employees reportedly washed dishes, equipment and other food contact surfaces without using any sanitizer. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 17 Apr. 2026

Hand sanitizer is a non-negotiable flight essential, says Ally Case, a flight attendant at a major airline for seven years. —Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2026

Wet wiping cloths sat on counters instead of in sanitizer solution. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026

Ashley is hopeful that their embryo will fertilize, but Austin, trying to buy time, sabotages his sperm sample with hand sanitizer. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sanitizer

• advertiser
• analyser
• analyzer
• appetizer
• atomizer
• breathalyzer
• colonizer
• crystallizer
• digitizer
• equalizer
• fertilizer
• localizer