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
The sterile conservatism of Labour has opened the door to the boisterous reaction of Reform.
—
Oliver Eagleton, Time, 26 Nov. 2025
Alexandrova also switched to handheld for some of the film’s strikingly sterile contemporary scenes, where students learn about Armando’s fate while typing out transcripts for a university archive.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 25 Nov. 2025
One of 2025’s goriest and most politically relevant reads, Black Flame follows Ellen, a Jewish film restorer whose sterile, closeted world begins to fall apart after she is possessed by an occult film created by victims of the Holocaust.
—Ana Osorno, Them., 21 Nov. 2025
It’s stocked with bandages, burn cream, gauze, sterile gloves, and more.
—Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
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Oliver Eagleton, Time, 26 Nov. 2025
Alexandrova also switched to handheld for some of the film’s strikingly sterile contemporary scenes, where students learn about Armando’s fate while typing out transcripts for a university archive.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 25 Nov. 2025
One of 2025’s goriest and most politically relevant reads, Black Flame follows Ellen, a Jewish film restorer whose sterile, closeted world begins to fall apart after she is possessed by an occult film created by victims of the Holocaust.
—Ana Osorno, Them., 21 Nov. 2025
It’s stocked with bandages, burn cream, gauze, sterile gloves, and more.
—Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 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 1 Dec. 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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