sterile

adjective

ster·​ile ˈster-əl 

chiefly British

-ˌī(-ə)l 

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

sterilely

ˈster-ə(l)-lē 

 chiefly British  -ˌī(-ə)(l)-lē

adverb

sterility

stə-ˈri-lə-tē 

noun

Synonyms

• barren
• fruitless
• impotent
• infertile
• unfruitful

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

In this world, the severance procedure literally splits the mind into work and non-work compartments, resulting in employees who live dual existences: one governed by the sterile demands of corporate productivity and the other shrouded in personal mystery. —Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

Like many other hybrid plants, African blue basil is sterile, which helps to explain its extravagant flowering; when a plant does not form seeds, there is more energy to devote purely to flowering. —Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 14 Mar. 2025

This is a sterile, forgettable little movie that has quickly come to function more as a time capsule than a salient bit of commentary, but there’s something valuable about the sobriety of its perspective. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2025

The transaction aims to combine Endo's generics and sterile injectables business with Mallinckrodt's generics business. —Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English steryle, from Latin sterilis; akin to Goth stairo barren animal, Sanskrit starī sterile cow

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sterile

• male-sterile
• self-sterile

Rhymes for sterile

• beryl
• feral
• karel
• peril
• seral
• sterol
• carbaryl
• glyceryl
• imperil
• cholesteryl
• sitosterol
• tocopherol

Kids 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

sterility

stə-ˈril-ət-ē 

noun

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

sterilely

-əl-(l)ē 

adverb

sterility

stə-ˈril-ət-ē 

noun

plural sterilities