1
a
: failing to bear or incapable of producing fruit or spores
b
: failing to produce or incapable of producing offspring
a sterile hybrid
c
: incapable of germinating
sterile spores
d
of a flower
: neither perfect nor pistillate
2
a
: unproductive of vegetation
a sterile arid region
b
: free from living organisms and especially pathogenic microorganisms
a sterile syringe
c
: lacking in stimulating emotional or intellectual quality : lifeless
a sterile work of art
Examples of sterile in a Sentence
a sterile dressing for a wound
sterile couples sometimes choose to adopt needy children
Recent Examples on the Web
However, Wall warns, warns the current outbreaks may not be as easily controlled, as the sterile insect technique works best on isolated populations.
—
Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Scientists have discovered more than 6,000 exoplanets to date, but the majority of them are probably sterile worlds.
—Joanna Thompson, Space.com, 28 Mar. 2026
The ones sold on the market were supposed to be sterile, meaning the seeds in the fruits weren’t supposed to germinate and grow.
—Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
One can see his fingerprints in work from fellow photographers Jamie Hawkesworth and Alec Soth, the staged intimacy of a Charli xcx video, the hyperaware vulnerability of a Perfume Genius album cover, and the sterile-surreal domestic tension in a Yorgos Lanthimos film.
—Vanity Fair, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sterile
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Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Scientists have discovered more than 6,000 exoplanets to date, but the majority of them are probably sterile worlds.
—Joanna Thompson, Space.com, 28 Mar. 2026
The ones sold on the market were supposed to be sterile, meaning the seeds in the fruits weren’t supposed to germinate and grow.
—Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
One can see his fingerprints in work from fellow photographers Jamie Hawkesworth and Alec Soth, the staged intimacy of a Charli xcx video, the hyperaware vulnerability of a Perfume Genius album cover, and the sterile-surreal domestic tension in a Yorgos Lanthimos film.
—Vanity Fair, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Cite this Entry
“Sterile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sterile. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sterile
adjective
ster·ile
ˈster-əl 
1
: not able to produce fruit, crops, or offspring : not fertile
sterile soil
2
: free from microscopic living things and especially germs (as bacteria and viruses)
a sterile dressing for a wound
Medical Definition
sterile
adjective
ster·ile
ˈster-əl, chiefly British -ˌīl
1
: failing to produce or incapable of producing offspring
a sterile hybrid
compare infertile
2
: free from living organisms and especially microorganisms
a sterile syringe
a sterile cyst
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