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
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
The claps are crisper, and the snare drums smack harder, but the sound is sterile.
—Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
Back in Vegas, Marcus and his loved ones watch the Tropicalia get demolished and lament the old Vegas, the one that wasn’t all sterile and lame and full of chain stores.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
The claps are crisper, and the snare drums smack harder, but the sound is sterile.
—Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
Back in Vegas, Marcus and his loved ones watch the Tropicalia get demolished and lament the old Vegas, the one that wasn’t all sterile and lame and full of chain stores.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 30 May 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 19 Jun. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share