2
: morally or spiritually impure
3
: infected with a harmful supernatural contagion
also
: prohibited by ritual law for use or contact
4
: lacking in clarity and precision of conception or execution
Synonyms
Examples of unclean in a Sentence
Many of their health problems were caused by unclean living conditions.
there's something unclean about this whole business
Recent Examples on the Web
Drinking unclean water may also cause stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, fever, kidney failure, and hepatitis.
—
Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 12 June 2024
An inspector’s notes include: unclean soda nozzles, unclean interior of ice machine; unclean microwave interior, dishwasher eating while in the kitchen, food items stored on floor outside of dry storage room, uncovered food items.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2024
None of them seem to have thought of the millions of African women and children who have gotten sick or died from breathing fumes from unclean cooking fuels.
—Mo Ibrahim, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2022
Inspectors also saw rodent droppings on the restaurant’s floors and dirty knives that had been put away on a rack but were unclean.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for unclean 
Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 12 June 2024
An inspector’s notes include: unclean soda nozzles, unclean interior of ice machine; unclean microwave interior, dishwasher eating while in the kitchen, food items stored on floor outside of dry storage room, uncovered food items.
—Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2024
None of them seem to have thought of the millions of African women and children who have gotten sick or died from breathing fumes from unclean cooking fuels.
—Mo Ibrahim, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2022
Inspectors also saw rodent droppings on the restaurant’s floors and dirty knives that had been put away on a rack but were unclean.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for unclean
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unclean.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Unclean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unclean. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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