unsanitary

[ uhn-san-i-ter-ee ]

adjective

1. not sanitary; unhealthy or unhealthful; tending to harbor or spread disease:

   unsanitary living conditions.

unsanitary

/ ʌnˈsænɪtərɪ; -trɪ /

adjective

1. not conducive to or promoting health; dirty or unhygienic

Other Words From

• un·sani·tari·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of unsanitary¹

First recorded in 1870–75; un- ¹ + sanitary

Example Sentences

CIWF’s biggest fear is that gene-editing animals to make them more resistant to diseases will mean that the industry will not be motivated to deal with the conditions that lead to the animals getting ill in the first place - such as crowded, unsanitary conditions.

From BBC

Unsanitary facilities can cause contamination, but the bacteria can also be introduced through raw ingredients, water, soil tracked into a plant on a worker’s shoe and even incoming air, said Brian Schaneberg, executive director at the Institute for Food Safety and Health at Illinois Institute of Technology.

From Los Angeles Times

We did not dare even go to the hospital, because the hospitals are unsanitary, and the overcrowding in them could make the health situation worse for everyone, accelerating the spread of epidemics.

From Slate

Many have ended up in unsafe and unsanitary conditions in shelters in and around the capital, where schools and shops have been closed to house people.

From BBC

Both described poor living conditions in which prisoners were crammed into small, unsanitary and cold cells, with limited access to a shower and toilet, which often led to people falling ill.

From BBC

Related Words

• contaminated
• filthy
• unhealthy