Meaning & use
sanitised
Last updated
“sanitised” is a form of “sanitise”.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Cleaned something thoroughly to remove germs and make it safe to use.
Grammar: Takes an object: sanitise a surface. In British English, the past tense is 'sanitised'.
Patterns
- sanitise something
- sanitise a surface
- sanitise equipment
The staff sanitised all the tables after the lunch rush.
She sanitised her hands before preparing the food.
adjectivebefore a noun
Made clean and free from germs, especially after being treated with a disinfectant.
Grammar: Used before a noun: sanitised wipes. Also after a linking verb: The area is sanitised.
Patterns
- sanitised wipes
- sanitised surface
- be sanitised
Always use sanitised equipment when you cook for others.
The bathroom was left clean and sanitised.
adjectivebefore a nounfigurative
Made to seem more acceptable or less offensive by removing unpleasant details.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a sanitised version. Often describes reports, stories, or accounts.
Patterns
- sanitised version
- sanitised account
- sanitised history
The news report gave a sanitised version of the events.
The film is a sanitised retelling of a violent story.
Word forms
| base form | sanitise |
|---|---|
| third person singular | sanitises |
| past tense | sanitised |
| past participle | sanitised |
| -ing form | sanitising |
Common combinations
- thoroughly sanitised
- The kitchen was thoroughly sanitised after the inspection.
- sanitised version
- They published a sanitised version of the report.
- sanitised hands
- Please use the sanitised hands station before entering.
- sanitised equipment
- The clinic uses only sanitised equipment.
Synonyms and how they differ
- disinfected
- Disinfected often implies using chemicals to kill germs; sanitised can also mean just cleaned to a safe level.
- sterilised
- Sterilised means completely free of all microorganisms, a stronger process than sanitised.
- cleaned
- Cleaned is more general and does not necessarily mean germs were removed.
Opposites
Word family
- sanitise verb
- To clean or make hygienic; the base form.
- sanitiser noun
- A substance or product used to clean and remove germs.
- sanitisation noun
- The process of cleaning something to make it free from germs.
- sanitary adjective
- Relating to health and cleanliness; conditions that are clean and safe.
Commonly confused: sanitised or sanitized?
sanitised vs sanitized
American spelling; 'sanitised' is the British spelling. They mean the same thing.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
The verb 'sanitise' is transitive and takes a direct object, so 'sanitised the kitchen counters' is correct. The other options use incorrect prepositions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sanitised”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.