Hygienic means clean in a way that prevents illness and keeps people healthy. When a restaurant kitchen is hygienic, the cooks wash their hands, clean their cutting boards, and store food at safe temperatures to prevent harmful bacteria from spreading. When you brush your teeth twice a day and wash your hands before eating, you're practicing good hygienic habits.

The word comes from Hygeia, the Greek goddess of health, and it focuses on cleanliness that actually matters for health and safety. Something hygienic is clean in ways that protect against germs and disease. A hospital needs to be extremely hygienic because sick patients can easily catch new infections. Your school cafeteria follows hygienic practices when workers wear gloves and keep raw meat separate from vegetables.

You might hear people talk about hygiene (the noun form), which means the practice of staying clean and healthy. Good hygiene includes washing regularly, keeping your living space clean, and handling food safely. The opposite, unhygienic, describes conditions that could spread germs or disease, like leaving food out in the heat or not cleaning a bathroom.