sanitizer

noun

san·​i·​tiz·​er ˈsa-nə-ˌtī-zər 

plural sanitizers

: a substance or product that is used to reduce or eliminate pathogenic agents (such as bacteria) on surfaces

Sales of alcohol-based hand sanitizers were up nearly 17% as of the first week of September compared to the same period last year …

—Laura Landro

"Carvacrol could potentially be used as a food sanitizer … particularly in conjunction with other antimicrobials," says Kelly Bright, associate research scientist in the department of soil, water, and environmental science at the University of Arizona.

—Daniel Stolt

also : a device used in sanitizing

This ozone-generating sanitizer looks like a miniature tanning bed for your manual toothbrush—and it emits ultraviolet light (UV) to kill 99.9 percent of brush germs.

—Malinda Govoni

Among the equipment that impressed him: … A wall-mounted food sanitizer that diverts water from the sink tap and charges it with ozone before dispensing it through the aerator for produce cleaning.

—Howard Riell

Examples of sanitizer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These stylish hand sanitizer sprays from Touchland make things more fun and fashionable, meaning your mom may actually remember (and want) to pack it and take it out on planes and in public spaces where it's needed most. —Aly Walansky, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2026

The dishwasher had no sanitizer. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026

The facility had no sanitizer in the bin at the three compartment sink. —Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado april 24, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026

Jackson County Public Health is rolling out a series of vending machines that will contain free health items, like fentanyl test strips, first aid kits, condoms, hand sanitizer, and Naloxone, the life-saving drug that can reverse an opioid overdose. —Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sanitizer

• advertiser
• analyser
• analyzer
• appetizer
• atomizer
• breathalyzer
• colonizer
• crystallizer
• digitizer
• equalizer
• fertilizer
• localizer