- comparative of clean.
cleaner
Americannoun
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a person who cleans, especially one whose regular occupation is cleaning offices, buildings, equipment, etc.
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an apparatus or machine for cleaning, as a vacuum cleaner.
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a preparation for use in cleaning, as a detergent or chemical bleach.
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the owner or operator of a dry-cleaning establishment.
The cleaner said he couldn't get the spot off my coat.
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Usually cleaners. a dry-cleaning establishment.
My suit is at the cleaners.
idioms
noun
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a person, device, chemical agent, etc, that removes dirt, as from clothes or carpets
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(usually plural) a shop, etc that provides a dry-cleaning service
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informal to rob or defraud a person of all of his money
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of cleaner
First recorded in 1425–75, cleaner is from the late Middle English word clener. See clean, -er 1
Explanation
A cleaner is either a person whose job involves tidying and disinfecting, or it's a substance used to do that work, like soap. If the cleaner runs out of window cleaner, they might try using vinegar. Professional cleaners might work in people's homes, in which case you might call them housekeepers, or they might work in office buildings, on work sites, or really anywhere that needs to be cleaned. Some cleaners (like dry cleaners) clean clothing and other textiles. Being a cleaner is hard work — and if you've ever watched workers suspended on scaffolding using big squeegees to clean skyscraper windows, you know that it can be thrilling work, too.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Many of the materials needed for cleaner energy systems and advanced technologies are still produced through processes that carry significant environmental costs.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
Under the ETS, Europe's industries and power plants are required to buy a permit, or allowance, for every tonne of carbon dioxide they emit, creating a financial incentive to invest in cleaner technologies.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
It is also to undercut China’s production advantage by developing cleaner, cheaper and more-flexible technologies that can produce critical minerals at or below China’s prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
This refinery also risks becoming a stranded asset as the world moves toward cleaner energy.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
“I read it last week. It’s all about a squirrel who gets sucked up inside a vacuum cleaner and turns into a poetry-writing superhero.”
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
Some of the work is physically risky and will require crews being lowered in uspended scaffolds known as swing stages used by window cleaners.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
He says “there is no data to suggest that cleaners experience any elevated rates of work-related illness due to air quality.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
For example, nine vacuum cleaners costing just under £4,000 bought in the space of four years.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
As a result, the cleaners were intensely focused on their hands while carrying out the job.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
The staff still came in: curators, cleaners, maintenance workers.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
