Origin: Latin suffix -ary
Sanitary has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
Sanitary towel.
"She left her sanitary towel on the bathroom counter by mistake."
Of, or relating to health.
"The sanitary report confirmed that the water supply was free from disease and safe for drinking."
In plain English: Sanitary means clean enough to avoid getting sick from germs or dirt.
"The hotel provided fresh, sanitary towels for every guest room."
The word sanitary entered English in the 19th century from French sanitaire, which was derived from the Latin sanitas meaning "health." It combines the root for health with a suffix to describe something that promotes or preserves good health.