san ‧ i ‧ tize BrE AmE ( also sanitise British English ) /ˈsænətaɪz, ˈsænɪtaɪz/ verb [transitive]
1 . to remove particular details from a report, story etc in order to make it less offensive, unpleasant, or embarrassing – used especially to show disapproval:
the sanitized version of events which was reported in the government-controlled media
2 . to clean something thoroughly, removing dirt and ↑ bacteria