as in sterile
free from filth, infection, or dangers to health
the nurse made sure that everything in the room was sanitary so that the baby wouldn't get sick
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of sanitary
The Houston Housing Authority was established in 1938 to provide safe and sanitary housing for households with low to moderate incomes and has been known by its current name for almost a century.
—
R.a. Schuetz, Houston Chronicle, 28 Jan. 2026
The number of immigration judges and staff should be significantly increased so that asylum applications can be decided on a much quicker basis, and individuals waiting on asylum decisions should be provided safe and sanitary conditions.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 1 Jan. 2026
Add these items to your regular cleaning routine to maintain a more sanitary space.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2025
From more sanitary and reliable health care products to light-weight (and hence energy efficient) infrastructure, plastics have been just as transformative in their benefits to humanity as bronze or copper or iron.
—Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sanitary
R.a. Schuetz, Houston Chronicle, 28 Jan. 2026
The number of immigration judges and staff should be significantly increased so that asylum applications can be decided on a much quicker basis, and individuals waiting on asylum decisions should be provided safe and sanitary conditions.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 1 Jan. 2026
Add these items to your regular cleaning routine to maintain a more sanitary space.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2025
From more sanitary and reliable health care products to light-weight (and hence energy efficient) infrastructure, plastics have been just as transformative in their benefits to humanity as bronze or copper or iron.
—Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sanitary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanitary
Adjective
-
Scientists have discovered more than 6,000 exoplanets to date, but the majority of them are probably sterile worlds.—
Joanna Thompson,
Space.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The ones sold on the market were supposed to be sterile, meaning the seeds in the fruits weren’t supposed to germinate and grow.—
Markis Hill,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Alongside the protest, organizers are collecting donations of clothes, hygienic products and food to stock community food boxes and to create care packages for in-need neighbors.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Unicharm could already turn these materials into other hygienic products like toilet paper, but a new ozone treatment designed to bleach, sterilize, and deodorize the pulp is widening the possibilities even further.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sanitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanitary. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
