Hygienic means clean in a way that keeps disease away. Hygienic conditions, a hygienic kitchen, not very hygienic.
It is about preventing infection rather than about looking clean, which is why a spotless kitchen can still be unhygienic if the same board goes from raw chicken to salad. Handwashing is the single most effective hygienic measure there is.
1adjectivehygienicClean in a way that keeps disease away.
“It isn't hygienic to use the same chopping board for raw chicken and salad.”
hygienic is a quality.
French hygienique comes from Greek hygieine, the art of health, from hygies, healthy.
French
hygiénique
English, today
hygienic
From French hygiénique. Displaced earlier hygienal.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA