disinfection

noun

dis·​in·​fec·​tion ˌdis-in-ˈfek-shən 

plural disinfections

: the act of disinfecting something

especially : the process of using a disinfectant to destroy, inactivate, or significantly reduce the concentration of pathogenic agents (such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi)

Both viruses are susceptible to disinfection by a weak solution of chlorine bleach.

—Margaret Reister

… a virulent strain of antibiotic-resistant bacteria spreads beyond hospital walls, some communities are taking extreme measures such as closing schools for disinfection.

—Laura Landro

Examples of disinfection in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The taste and odor of Raleigh's tap water might change over the next few weeks as the city initiates its yearly water disinfection process. —Zachery Eanes, Axios, 28 Feb. 2025

Those impurities can include nitrate (used for fertilizers), disinfection byproducts, arsenic, or per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, also called PFAS, Stoiber said. —Kristen Rogers, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025

As for New York City, pollutants in the drinking water system included hexavalent chromium, chloroform and various disinfection byproducts. —Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 26 Feb. 2025

The state’s Department of Agriculture and Markets issued the order, which requires the roughly 80 markets in New York City and Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk Counties to sell their inventory, conduct cleaning and disinfection and remain closed for five days afterward. —Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 12 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1722, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for disinfection

• circumspection
• disaffection
• disconnection
• dorsiflexion
• imperfection
• indirection
• insurrection
• intellection
• interjection
• intersection
• introjection
• introspection