cleanliness

noun

clean·​li·​ness ˈklen-lē-nəs How to pronounce cleanliness (audio)
Synonyms of cleanlinessnext
: the quality or state of being clean : the practice of keeping oneself or one's surroundings clean
Though a stale remark, it can hardly be said too often, that personal cleanliness is one of the necessary agents to health …— Walt Whitman
The Romans spent hours at their elaborate bathhouse complexes, but not everyone equated cleanliness with virtue …— Sara Ivry
This cleanliness is necessary to ensure that no dust or particles end up on the silicon surface during the processing of the chip.— Robert J. Cone

Examples of cleanliness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Automated data management can enhance data relevance and security more efficiently while maintaining rigor in cleanliness and organization. — Sean Nathaniel, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025 Inspectors also found inadequate hand-washing, equipment maintenance and cleanliness at the Price Choice Foodmarket at 18351 NW 27th Ave. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2025 Each sanitation district was given a cleanliness rating — from a little litter to a lot. — John Banks, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2025 There’s not been a huge amount of clinical research into headphone cleanliness, but according to an investigation by ABC 11 back in 2019, microbiologist Michael Taveirne, from North Carolina State University, swabbed several different headphones and sent the cultures in for testing. — Chris Haslam, WIRED, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cleanliness

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cleanliness was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing cleanliness

Browse Nearby Words

cleanliness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cleanliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleanliness. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on cleanliness

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cleanliness

Nglish: Translation of cleanliness for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
number-twelve-balloon
12-Letter Words Quiz A dozen words, a dozen letters each.
See All