sterile

adjective

ster·​ile ˈster-əl 

chiefly British

-ˌī(-ə)l 

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

sterilely

ˈster-ə(l)-lē 

chiefly British -ˌī(-ə)(l)-lē

adverb

sterility

stə-ˈri-lə-tē 

noun

Synonyms of sterile

• barren
• sterilized

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

This kind of boosterism—no less evident in Bernard Lewis’s highbrow argument in The New Yorker that Muslims fear modernity than in Niall Ferguson’s entreaties for the Bush Administration to resume the British Empire’s task of civilizing the natives—always seemed bafflingly sterile to me. —Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026

Individual plants live for 300 years with attractive, but sterile, red flower spikes. —Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026

Beautifully photographed by Greig Fraser, the color palette is warm and colorful, not cold and sterile; Daniel Pemberton’s percussive score is curious, bright and emotionally leading. —Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2026

Beautifully photographed by Greig Fraser, the color palette is warm and colorful, not cold and sterile; Daniel Pemberton’s percussive score is curious, bright and emotionally leading. —Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 19 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English steryle, from Latin sterilis; akin to Goth stairo barren animal, Sanskrit starī sterile cow

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sterile

• male-sterile
• self-sterile

Rhymes for sterile

• beryl
• feral
• karel
• peril
• seral
• sterol
• carbaryl
• glyceryl
• imperil
• cholesteryl
• sitosterol
• tocopherol

Kids 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

sterility

stə-ˈril-ət-ē 

noun

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

sterilely

-əl-(l)ē 

adverb

sterility

stə-ˈril-ət-ē 

noun

plural sterilities