sanitize
UK[ˈsænɪtaɪz]US[ˈsænɪtaɪz]
v
to make something completely clean and free from bacteria
v
to change something in order to make it less offensive, unpleasant, or dangerous, especially by removing parts considered harmful
Morpheme Breakdown
sanit
ize
sanit
healthy
ize
verb-forming suffix
Etymology
the word sanitize is a modern formation built upon the latin root 'sanitas', which means 'health'. this root itself is derived from the latin adjective 'sanus', meaning 'sound, healthy'. the suffix '-ize', a prolific verb-forming element in english, was adopted from greek via latin and french. thus, the literal construction 'to make healthy' evolved into the modern senses of cleaning to promote health and, metaphorically, removing undesirable elements to make something more acceptable.
Analysis
Structure: sanit (healthy) + ize (verb-forming suffix)
sanit originates from the latin word 'sanitas', meaning 'health'. the suffix ize comes from greek '-izein', via latin '-izare', and is used to form verbs meaning 'to make, to render, to become'.
Examples
the hospital staff must sanitize all equipment between patients.
the company tried to sanitize the report by removing any criticism of its management.
after preparing raw chicken, it's crucial to sanitize the kitchen surfaces.