Standard Lemma guide

sanitize

verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈsænətaɪz/
  • General-American: /ˈsænɪtaɪz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S AE1 N IH0 T AY2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To rid of microorganisms by cleaning or disinfecting.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To make something, such as a dramatic work, more acceptable by removing potentially offensive material.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, transitive

Examples

  • Near-synonym: bowdlerize

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bowdlerize

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To filter (text) to ensure it does not contain any characters that will cause problems for or be interpreted in an adverse way by the receiving system.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • Remember to sanitize your query parameters to avoid SQL injection exploits.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To remove sensitive or personal data from (a database or file).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To revise (a document) in order to prevent identification of the sources.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

make less offensive or more acceptable by removing objectionable features

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • sanitize a document before releasing it to the press
  • sanitize history
  • sanitize the language in a book

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sanitise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

7

verb

Meaning 7

make sanitary by cleaning or sterilizing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sanitise, hygienize, hygienise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: clean, make clean

History

Etymology

From sanitary. By surface analysis, sanity + -ize.

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: дезинфекцирам (dezinfekciram) — to free from microorganisms
  • Bulgarian: хигиенизирам (higieniziram) — to free from microorganisms
  • Catalan: sanejar — to free from microorganisms
  • Czech: sanitovat — to free from microorganisms
  • French: assainir — to free from microorganisms
  • German: keimfrei machen — to free from microorganisms
  • German: hygienisch machen — to free from microorganisms
  • Greek: απολυμαίνω (apolymaíno) — to free from microorganisms
  • Italian: sanitizzare — to free from microorganisms
  • Italian: disinfettare — to free from microorganisms
  • Italian: igienizzare — to free from microorganisms
  • Japanese: 除菌する (jokin suru) — to free from microorganisms
  • Polish: asenizować — to free from microorganisms
  • Portuguese: higienizar — to free from microorganisms
  • Portuguese: desinfetar — to free from microorganisms
  • Russian: дезинфицировать (dezinficirovatʹ) — to free from microorganisms
  • Russian: стерилизовать (sterilizovatʹ) — to free from microorganisms
  • Spanish: sanear — to free from microorganisms
  • Spanish: sanitizar — to free from microorganisms
  • Spanish: higienizar — to free from microorganisms
  • Swedish: sanera — to free from microorganisms
  • Turkish: sterilize etmek — to free from microorganisms
  • Italian: censurare — to bowdlerize
  • Italian: edulcorare — to bowdlerize
  • Russian: цензурировать (cenzurirovatʹ) — to bowdlerize
  • Russian: вымарывать (vymaryvatʹ) — to bowdlerize
  • German: sanitizen — to filter text
  • Japanese: サニタイズする (sanitaizu suru) — to filter text
  • Russian: очищать (očiščatʹ) — to filter text