sterilization

noun

ster·​il·​i·​za·​tion ˌster-ə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

plural sterilizations

1

: the act or process of sterilizing: such as

a

: the rendering of something free from viable microorganisms (as by the use of steam or dry heat)

The hospital's standard method for cleaning surgical equipment is a five-step process that includes ultrasound, washing with detergents and enzymes, and sterilization in an autoclave.

—Kay Lazar and Chelsea Conaboy

Ethylene oxide … is a gas used widely to sterilize surgical equipment that can't tolerate steam sterilization.

—Science News

b

: a procedure by which a living organism is made incapable of reproduction

While I'm sure the pets aren't too keen on the procedure, sterilization avoids unwanted animals …, prevents some health problems in older pets, and helps to prevent aggressive behavior that some owners might use as a reason for euthanasia or abuse.

—Jil McIntosh

The sterile insect technique … is a species-specific and environmentally nonpolluting method of insect control that relies on the mass rearing, sterilization, and release of large numbers of insects.

—Dean D. Thomas et al.

According to the 1995 Canadian Contraception Study, vasectomy has overtaken tubal ligation in every province except the Maritimes as the preferred method of sterilization.

—Michael Jabri-Picket

Under the law upheld by the Supreme Court in 1927, the state of Virginia continued to perform forced, involuntary sterilizations until 1972.

—Laurence H. Tribe

2

: the condition of one that is sterile or sterilized

Once used as an antimalarial drug in World War II, quinacrine is known to cause irreversible sterilization …

—Praful Bidwai

Examples of sterilization in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2012, Miami-Dade voters endorsed a tax plan that would have raised millions for dog sterilization efforts. —Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025

When a patient arrives with an emergent brain hemorrhage requiring immediate, life-saving surgery, the operating room team can swiftly retrieve the emergency craniotomy tray from the central sterilization area, already prepared by the sterilization team. —Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025

The clinic emphasizes the importance of sterilization, conducting procedures in medical environments specifically designed for surgical safety, and ensuring that only its in-house medical team performs these procedures. —Matt Emma, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025

The sheer number of dogs overwhelms the limited funding and veterinary infrastructure in the world’s most populous country, meaning sterilization rates cannot keep pace with the dogs’ rapid breeding cycle. —Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sterilization

• pre-sterilization

Rhymes for sterilization

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration