disinfection
noun
dis·in·fec·tion
ˌdis-in-ˈfek-shən 
plural disinfections
: the act of disinfecting something
especially
: the process of using a disinfectant to destroy, inactivate, or significantly reduce the concentration of pathogenic agents (such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi)
Both viruses are susceptible to disinfection by a weak solution of chlorine bleach. —
Margaret Reister
Margaret Reister … a virulent strain of antibiotic-resistant bacteria spreads beyond hospital walls, some communities are taking extreme measures such as closing schools for disinfection. —Laura Landro
Laura Landro Examples of disinfection in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The kitchen has gone without a working dishwasher and hot water, preventing proper disinfection, the complaint says.
—Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2025
That's followed by extensive disinfection and months of surveillance and testing to make sure the virus isn't still lurking somewhere on site.
—Kate Wells, NPR, 2 Feb. 2025
In response to the outbreak, the ship and crew increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, collected stool specimens for testing and isolated people who had fallen ill, the CDC said.
—Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2025
The cruise line increased cleaning and disinfection onboard and isolated sick guests and crew, among other steps, the CDC said.
—Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disinfection
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2025
That's followed by extensive disinfection and months of surveillance and testing to make sure the virus isn't still lurking somewhere on site.
—Kate Wells, NPR, 2 Feb. 2025
In response to the outbreak, the ship and crew increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, collected stool specimens for testing and isolated people who had fallen ill, the CDC said.
—Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2025
The cruise line increased cleaning and disinfection onboard and isolated sick guests and crew, among other steps, the CDC said.
—Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disinfection
Cite this Entry
“Disinfection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disinfection. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share