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
Between 1962 and 1975, the U.S. and Mexico bred and released more than 94 billion sterile flies to eradicate the pest, according to the USDA.
—
Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2025
Subsequently, the agriculture department increased sterile fly deliveries and supported additional surveillance programs, which led to livestock imports restarting in February 2025.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
The numbers need to be large enough that females in the wild can't help but hook up with sterile males for mating.
—CBS News, 2 July 2025
There will also be more space for the hospital's pharmacy, lab, sterile processing department and administrative and educational areas.
—Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
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Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2025
Subsequently, the agriculture department increased sterile fly deliveries and supported additional surveillance programs, which led to livestock imports restarting in February 2025.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
The numbers need to be large enough that females in the wild can't help but hook up with sterile males for mating.
—CBS News, 2 July 2025
There will also be more space for the hospital's pharmacy, lab, sterile processing department and administrative and educational areas.
—Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Cite this Entry
“Sterile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sterile. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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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