infertile

adjective

in·​fer·​tile (ˈ)in-ˈfər-tᵊl How to pronounce infertile (audio)
: not fertile or productive
infertile eggs
infertile fields
especially : incapable of or unsuccessful in achieving pregnancy
infertile couples
infertility noun

Examples of infertile in a Sentence

an infertile cow is of limited use to a farmer only parched, infertile fields remained after months of drought
Recent Examples on the Web The program left more than 250,000 Andean women infertile. Stephanie McNulty & Sarah Chartock / Made By History, TIME, 10 Oct. 2024 There are approximately 13 million infertile women in the US, but only about 600,000 (5%) have access to IVF care. Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 From ancient Greece to medieval Europe, infertile men enlisted lovers for their wives in order to continue their lineage. Brooke Scelza, Scientific American, 19 Sep. 2024 This is true even if you’ve been previously diagnosed as infertile (unless your doctor tells you otherwise). Rachel Gurevich, Parents, 25 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for infertile 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infertile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from Late Latin infertilis, from Latin in- + fertilis fertile

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of infertile was in 1597

Dictionary Entries Near infertile

Cite this Entry

“Infertile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infertile. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

infertile

adjective
in·​fer·​tile (ˈ)in-ˈfərt-ᵊl How to pronounce infertile (audio)
: not fertile or productive : barren
infertility noun

Medical Definition

infertile

adjective
in·​fer·​tile (ˈ)in-ˈfərt-ᵊl How to pronounce infertile (audio)
: not fertile
especially : incapable of or unsuccessful in achieving pregnancy over a considerable period of time (as a year) in spite of determined attempts by heterosexual intercourse without contraception
infertile couples
an infertile male with a low sperm count
an infertile female with blocked fallopian tubes
compare sterile sense 1
infertility noun
plural infertilities

More from Merriam-Webster on infertile

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