disinfectant

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/dɪs.ɪnˈfɛktənt/

adjective

Serving to kill germs or viruses.

“I washed repeatedly with a disinfectant soap but I still caught the flu.”

Less commonScrabble 18

Meanings

adjectivedisinfectant (not comparable)
  1. not comparableServing to kill germs or viruses.

    I washed repeatedly with a disinfectant soap but I still caught the flu.

noundisinfectant (countable and uncountable, plural disinfectants)

plural disinfectants

  1. countableuncountableA substance that kills germs or viruses.

    The scalpels were soaked in disinfectant before the operation so disease wouldn't be spread.

    2 more examples

    "Using the correct disinfectant is an important part of preventing and reducing the spread of illnesses along with other critical aspects such as hand washing," EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement.

    2020 March 5, Christina Zdanowicz, “Here’s a list of disinfectants you can use against coronavirus”, in CNN, archived from the original on 23 Dec 2020

    Whether boarding an airplane with underwear on your face to protest mask requirements, injecting yourself with horse dewormer instead of a safe and effective vaccine or swallowing household disinfectants because the President of the United States unironically suggested that it might help, the pandemic has amplified the frequency and tenor of ridiculous and sometimes alarming behavior.

    2022 February 10, Abdul El-Sayed, “Canadian trucker protests are the latest example of Covid-19 absurdity”, in CNN, archived from the original on 22 Apr 2022

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivepreventing infection by inhibiting the growth or action of microorganisms

nounan agent (as heat or radiation or a chemical) that destroys microorganisms that might carry disease

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchdésinfectant
  2. Englishdisinfectant

From disinfect + -ant, borrowed from French désinfectant.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مُطَهِّر
  • مُطَهِّر (muṭahhir)A substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Catalan desinfectant, desinfectant
  • desinfectantof a substance which kills germs and/or viruses
  • desinfectantA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Chinese Mandarin 消毒劑 /消毒剂, 消毒劑 /消毒剂
  • 消毒劑 /消毒剂 (Xiāodú jì)of a substance which kills germs and/or viruses
  • 消毒劑 /消毒剂 (xiāodújì)A substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Czech dezinfekční, dezinfekční prostředek
  • dezinfekčníof a substance which kills germs and/or viruses
  • dezinfekční prostředekA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Danish desinficerende, desinfektionsmiddel
  • desinficerendeof a substance which kills germs and/or viruses
  • desinfektionsmiddelA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Dutch ontsmettingsmiddel, antisepticum
  • ontsmettingsmiddelA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
  • antisepticumA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
  • desinfectansA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Finnish desinfioiva, desinfiointiaine
  • desinfioivaof a substance which kills germs and/or viruses
  • desinfiointiaineA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
French désinfectant
  • désinfectantA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
German desinfizierend, Desinfektionsmittel
  • desinfizierendof a substance which kills germs and/or viruses
  • DesinfektionsmittelA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Greek απολυμαντικός, απολυμαντικό
  • απολυμαντικός (apolymantikós)of a substance which kills germs and/or viruses
  • απολυμαντικό (apolymantikó)A substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Hindi निस्संक्रामक
  • निस्संक्रामक (nissaṅkrāmak)A substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Indonesian disinfektan
  • disinfektanA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Italian disinfettante
  • disinfettanteA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Japanese 消毒剤
  • 消毒剤 (shōdokuzai)A substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Korean 소독제
  • 소독제 (sodokje)A substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Malay penyahkuman, disinfektan
  • penyahkumanA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
  • disinfektanA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Māori patu huakita, (rongoā) patu huakita
  • patu huakitaof a substance which kills germs and/or viruses
  • (rongoā) patu huakitaA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Norwegian Bokmål desinfeksjonsmiddel
  • desinfeksjonsmiddelA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Polish dezynfekujący, środek dezynfekujący
  • dezynfekującyof a substance which kills germs and/or viruses
  • środek dezynfekującyA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Portuguese desinfetante
  • desinfetanteA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Romanian dezinfectant
  • dezinfectantA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Russian дезинфици́рующее сре́дство
  • дезинфици́рующее сре́дство (dezinficírujuščeje srédstvo)A substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Spanish desinfectante
  • desinfectanteA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Swedish desinfektionsmedel
  • desinfektionsmedelA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Tagalog pandes-impekta
  • pandes-impektaA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Turkish dezenfektan
  • dezenfektanA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Vietnamese thuốc tẩy uế
  • thuốc tẩy uếA substance which kills germs and/or viruses
Cite this entry
APA

disinfectant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disinfectant

MLA

“disinfectant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disinfectant. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “disinfectant,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disinfectant.

Source: disinfectant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.