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 attributively

a sanitation truck

sanitation workers

Examples of sanitation in a Sentence

Diseases can spread from poor sanitation.

Recent Examples on the Web

The city’s culture puts a lot of value on sanitation, Richardson said. —Benji Jones, Vox, 31 Jan. 2025

There are roughly 200,000 municipal employees in that category at the moment, including everything from cops and sanitation workers to teachers and EMTs. —Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2025

Here, its role is to coordinate with all 194 member states in a wide range of public health activities, such as vaccination campaigns, water sanitation projects and support for countries dealing with health emergencies. —Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025

The civil rights leader had been in the city to support a sanitation workers’ strike. —Jeff Martin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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