cleanliness is next to godliness

proverb

It is important and morally sound to keep one's body and home clean; those who practice purity and wholeness are close to God.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. It is important and morally sound to keep one's body and home clean; those who practice purity and wholeness are close to God.

Origin

First recorded in a sermon by John Wesley in 1778.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

cleanliness is next to godliness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cleanliness%20is%20next%20to%20godliness

MLA

“cleanliness is next to godliness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cleanliness%20is%20next%20to%20godliness. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cleanliness is next to godliness,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cleanliness%20is%20next%20to%20godliness.

Source: cleanliness is next to godliness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.