Meaning & use
disinfect
To clean a surface or object using a chemical substance that destroys harmful bacteria and germs.
See it in a sentence
Nurses disinfect the equipment thoroughly between each patient visit.
She disinfected the kitchen counters after preparing the raw chicken.
A note on using this word
Disinfect implies killing germs with a chemical agent, distinct from simply cleaning away visible dirt.
Words with a similar meaning
sterilizesanitize
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “disinfect”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.