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
With the exception of newer sterile cultivars, cleomes readily reseed in the garden.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 July 2024
The point was apparently to conduct these tests in an environment that is closer to how the consumer will enjoy the whiskey as opposed to the sterile environment of a lab, and to allow the whiskey to react and open up to variations in temperature and humidity.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 7 July 2024
Also, powdered infant formula is not sterile and can have a risk of bacterial contamination.
—Jennifer White, Parents, 1 July 2024
Many of those deaths have moved to the hospital, an often sterile environment where, as during the pandemic, loved ones are sometimes restricted from visiting.
—Cody Delistraty, The New Yorker, 22 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for sterile 
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 July 2024
The point was apparently to conduct these tests in an environment that is closer to how the consumer will enjoy the whiskey as opposed to the sterile environment of a lab, and to allow the whiskey to react and open up to variations in temperature and humidity.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 7 July 2024
Also, powdered infant formula is not sterile and can have a risk of bacterial contamination.
—Jennifer White, Parents, 1 July 2024
Many of those deaths have moved to the hospital, an often sterile environment where, as during the pandemic, loved ones are sometimes restricted from visiting.
—Cody Delistraty, The New Yorker, 22 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for sterile
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sterile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sterile
Cite this Entry
“Sterile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sterile. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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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