antisepsis

American  

[an-tuh-sep-sis] / ˌæn təˈsɛp sɪs /

noun

1. destruction of the microorganisms that produce sepsis or septic disease.

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antisepsis British  

/ ˌæntɪˈsɛpsɪs /

noun

1. destruction of undesirable microorganisms, such as those that cause disease or putrefaction Compare asepsis

2. the state or condition of being free from such microorganisms

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antisepsis Scientific  

/ ăn′tĭ-sĕp′sĭs /

1. The destruction of pathogenic microorganisms in order to prevent infection.

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Etymology

Origin of antisepsis

First recorded in 1870–75; anti- + sepsis

Example Sentences

At the time, Joseph Lister’s pioneering antisepsis work in Britain was known to American doctors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

The emergence of surgery from its barbaric past rested on four pillars: the understanding of anatomy, the control of bleeding, anesthesia and antisepsis.

From New York Times • Mar. 24, 2022

The tragic delay in implementing antisepsis should remind us of our obligation to see truth for what it is, regardless of the social niceties of the creative genius.

From Scientific American • Feb. 3, 2018

Conan Doyle references Lister's use of carbolic acid for antisepsis in the 1892 story 'The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb', when Watson uses it while dressing a wound.

From Nature • Sep. 19, 2017

Cleanliness is the first requisite to antisepsis, and this is the secret of avoiding puerperal fever.

From The Four Epochs of Woman's Life; a study in hygiene by Galbraith, Anna M. (Anna Mary)

Related Words

• purification
• sanitation
• sterilization
• washing