sanitary

adjective

improvements in health are also the result of more sanitary conditions

Syn:

hygienic, clean, antiseptic, aseptic, sterile, uninfected, disinfected, unpolluted, uncontaminated; salubrious, healthy, wholesome

••

sanitary, antiseptic, healthful, hygienic, salubrious, sterile

Americans thrive on cleanliness and the eradication of germs. They try to keep their homes sanitary, a term that goes beyond cleanliness to imply that measures have been taken to guard against infections or disease. They demand that their communities provide schools and workplaces that are hygienic — in other words, that adhere to the rules or standards promoting public health. But it would be almost impossible to duplicate the conditions found in a hospital, where everything that comes in contact with patients must be sterile or free of germs entirely. Most Americans want to make their environment healthful, which means conducive to the health or soundness of the body, but they are not interested in making it antiseptic, a word that is similar in meaning to sterile but implies preventing infections by destroying germs that are already present (an antiseptic solution). Many Americans, as they grow older, choose to move to a more salubrious climate, a word that means health-giving and applies primarily to an air quality that is invigorating and that avoids harsh extremes.