unsanitary

IPA/ʌnˈsænətri/
KK[ənsˈænətˌɛri]IPA/ʌnˈsænəteri/

unsanitary — adjective

  • unsanitarypositive
  • more unsanitarycomparative
  • most unsanitarysuperlative

1. not clean enough to be safe for health, especially because it lets germs or dise

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

not clean enough to be safe for health, especially because it lets germs or disease spread.

Example

Wei refused to eat at the stall because flies covered the unsanitary cutting board.

attributive use: unsanitary cutting board

After the flood, families boiled every bucket of water from the unsanitary well.

collocation: unsanitary well

Common collocations
  • unsanitary conditions
  • unsanitary bathroom
  • unsanitary kitchen
  • unsanitary well
  • unsanitary living conditions
  • unsanitary food preparation area
Synonyms
  • unhygienic

    very close in meaning; often used for habits or practices as well as places

  • filthy

    stronger everyday word that stresses visible dirt more than disease risk

  • contaminated

    narrower and more technical; used when harmful germs or substances are present

Antonyms
  • sanitary

    direct opposite; common in public-health and inspection language

  • hygienic

    close opposite that often emphasizes clean habits and safe practices

  • clean

    broader everyday opposite; may not always imply protection from disease

Grammar Patterns

unsanitary + conditions / bathroom / kitchen / well / living conditions

become / get / remain + unsanitary

Usage Note

Common in health inspections, housing complaints, and food-safety contexts. It usually describes places, equipment, water, or living conditions, and it suggests a real risk of illness rather than ordinary mess.

Common Mistakes

My bedroom is unsanitary because my clothes are on the chair.
My bedroom is messy because my clothes are on the chair.
unsanitary implies a health risk from dirt, waste, or germs, not simple untidiness.
After the hike, Leo looked unsanitary.
After the hike, Leo looked dirty.
unsanitary usually describes places or conditions that may spread disease, not someone's sweaty appearance.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Unsanitary', 'unhygienic', 'dirty', and 'contaminated' can all warn that something is not safe, but they focus on different problems. 'Unsanitary' is common in inspections, housing complaints, and food-safety reports, and it suggests conditions that could let disease spread. 'Unhygienic' is very close, but it often describes habits or practices, such as sharing razors or not washing hands. 'Dirty' is the broad everyday word and may only mean visibly unclean, with no clear health danger. 'Contaminated' is narrower and more technical: it means harmful germs or substances are already present in food, water, soil, or equipment. Dirty shoes are not usually unsanitary, but an unsanitary kitchen often becomes contaminated as well.

unsanitary ↗unhygienicdirty ↗contaminated ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • unsanitary conditions
  • unsanitary bathroom
  • unsanitary kitchen
  • unsanitary living conditions
  • unsanitary water source

Adverbs

  • extremely unsanitary
  • highly unsanitary

Phrases

  • become unsanitary
  • declare a place unsanitary
  • keep food areas from becoming unsanitary

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Built in English by adding the negative prefix 'un-' to sanitary. Sanitary entered English in the early 1800s from French 'sanitaire', which came from Latin 'sanitas' meaning 'health'. As cities improved sewers, water systems, and public inspection rules in the 19th century, unsanitary became a practical warning word for places and conditions that could spread disease.

First known use

1872

1872, in the meaning defined above