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
Some varieties are sterile and do not produce fruit.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
Much of the factory was supposed to be as sterile as an operating room.
—Debbie Cenziper, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
Tattoo Health Risk #3: Potentially Serious Infections Even in professional studios with sterile technique, infections are a real risk.
—Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Your yard does not need to resemble a sterile English garden.
—Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
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Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
Much of the factory was supposed to be as sterile as an operating room.
—Debbie Cenziper, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
Tattoo Health Risk #3: Potentially Serious Infections Even in professional studios with sterile technique, infections are a real risk.
—Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Your yard does not need to resemble a sterile English garden.
—Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Cite this Entry
“Sterile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sterile. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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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