sterile

adjective

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ster·ile | \ ˈster-əl

, chiefly British -ˌī(-ə)l \

Definition of sterile

1a : 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

2a : 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

Other Words from sterile Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing sterile Learn More About sterile

Other Words from sterile

sterilely \ ˈster-ə(l)-lē

, chiefly British -ˌī(-ə)(l)-lē \ adverb

sterility \ stə-ˈri-lə-tē

\ noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for sterile

Synonyms

Antonyms

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 The band wanted to be sure the new record was not sterile. — Eric Fuller, Forbes, 15 Apr. 2022 Like other hybrids in the animal kingdom, such as the mule or the liger, the kunga was sterile. — Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Jan. 2022 There is a possibility of biocontamination at the crash site, since rocket parts aren’t sterile when launched, said David Rothery, a professor of planetary geosciences at The Open University in the United Kingdom. — Katie Hunt, CNN, 4 Mar. 2022 The team also found differences in the activity of genes involved in the prevention of oxidative damage or the repair of such damage, between queens and egg-laying workers compared with sterile workers. — Tim Vernimmen, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Jan. 2022 Worker bees are sterile and are destined for a lifetime of intensive tasks such as housekeeping and food collection. — Chao Yan, Scientific American, 17 June 2020 Big manufacturers resorted to growing the blue agave only in their own farms, cloning plants for ease and speed but rendering them virtually sterile in the process. — Samanth Subramanian, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2022 Billions of years ago, some unknown location on the sterile, primordial Earth became a cauldron of complex organic molecules from which the first cells emerged. — Quanta Magazine, 8 Mar. 2022 The deli is sending these funds to Razom for Ukraine, a nonprofit that is providing medical supplies such as tourniquets, bandages, combat gauzes and sterile pads to affected residents, as well as humanitarian aid and support for volunteers on-site. — Emma Balter, Chron, 7 Mar. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sterile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.