What is the definition of sanitizing

transitive verb

1

: to reduce or eliminate pathogenic agents (such as bacteria) on the surfaces of (something) : to make (something) sanitary (as by cleaning or disinfecting)

You can use sponges and dishcloths safely if you take care to sanitize them, says Dean Cliver, a professor of food safety at the University of California, Davis.

What is the definition of sanitizing
Nick Gallo

City Sanitarian Lauri Sorel said no soot was found and restaurants only had to sanitize food service surfaces with a mixture of bleach and water. The Springfield (Massachusetts) Union-News

He had every store and delivery truck sanitized, and he set up a department to make unannounced health inspections of stores, vowing to temporarily shut down any slackers for cleanup. Suzanne Hoppough

2

: to make (something, such as text) more acceptable by removing, hiding, or minimizing any unpleasant, undesirable, or unfavorable parts

The memories—and memoirs—of former intelligence hands tend to be selective as well as sanitized, either by the author or by some form of official censorship or both, and the historian must be wary. Ian Black and Benny Morris

They were also forced to "sanitize" reports that might show early church leaders or the official doctrine in a dim light. Robert Lindsey

Once "friended" by a colleague, people feel compelled to employ privacy features—which itself can be a snub—or to sanitize their online profiles—which is akin to hiding something under the bed. Jared Sandberg

Published in Munich in 1987, the diaries are a major tool of that school of historians whose purpose is to relativize, normalize, sanitize the crimes of the Third Reich. Peter Padfield

And the movie sanitizes his behavior as well. (It manages to suggest that he's a philanderer without ever once showing him with another woman.) Entertainment Weekly

… civilian casualties are referred to as "collateral damage"—a stunningly abstract and sanitized way to refer to mangled human bodies. Carol E. Cohn

Example Sentences

The housekeeping staff sanitized the bathroom. They're trying to sanitize the news.

Recent Examples on the Web This little gadget will sanitize the air in your home, getting rid of 99.97% of dust, pollen, pet dander, smoke, and dad's BO. Hannah Oh, Seventeen, 7 Nov. 2022 Your steamer can sanitize fabrics and some surfaces without chemicals. Barbara Bellesi Zito, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2022 Choose from cycles designed to steam out wrinkles, reduce static, sanitize with heat and time, dry small loads in as little as 23 minutes and more. Carolyn Forté, Good Housekeeping, 31 Oct. 2022 Outside your normal skin-care routine, DeRosa says these products can be used to spot-treat an acne breakout, soothe a sunburn, or even sanitize your hands in a pinch (in higher concentrations, hypochlorous acid is commonly used in hand sanitizers). Myranda Mondry, Allure, 30 Sep. 2022 As the name suggests, air purifiers sanitize the air, getting rid of pollutants, as well as allergens like pollen, pet dander and dust. Marc Saltzman, USA TODAY, 30 July 2022 After working with ground meat, thoroughly sanitize your countertop, as well as any utensils or plates used (simple hot detergent water will suffice, Bucknavage says). Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 29 July 2022 There is no question that efforts to capture, sanitize, organize, and analyze data require committed effort and expertise. Randy Bean, Forbes, 14 Apr. 2022 How are we supposed to sanitize our homes to disinfect, to keep our community members safe? Gillian Flaccus And Becky Bohrer, Anchorage Daily News, 23 Dec. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sanitize.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of sanitize was in 1836

Dictionary Entries Near sanitize

Cite this Entry

“Sanitize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sanitize. Accessed 6 Dec. 2022.

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Last Updated: 23 Nov 2022 - Updated example sentences

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Merriam-Webster unabridged

What's the definition for sanitizing?

: to make (something) free from dirt, infection, disease, etc., by cleaning it : to make (something) sanitary. The housekeeping staff sanitized the bathroom.

What is the definition of sanitizing Servsafe?

Define Sanitizing. Sanitizing reduces pathogens on a surface to safe levels.

What is the definition of sanitizing in food?

Sanitizing is designed to reduce the number of microorganisms to a safe level. Sanitizing is performed after cleaning. Unclean surfaces will reduce the effectiveness of sanitizing. All surfaces that come into contact with food must be cleaned and sanitized regularly.

What is define cleaning and sanitizing?

Cleaning removes food and other types of soil from a surface such as a countertop or plate. Sanitizing reduces the number of pathogens on that clean surface to safe levels. To be effective, cleaning and sanitizing must be a 4-step process. Surfaces must be cleaned, rinsed, sanitized, and allowed to air dry.