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 researchers also did further experiments in the sterile conditions of a lab in Denmark with ants that were the sister species of the ones used in Bulgaria.
—
Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Some participate in sophisticated processes like synthesizing medicine ingredients, while others design software for quality control or specialize in sterile packaging.
—Elaine Parker, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025
Flushing the eye with a sterile saline solution, making sure to get under your eyelids, can be helpful.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
The unchanging routines of the characters also make the world feel sterile.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
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Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Some participate in sophisticated processes like synthesizing medicine ingredients, while others design software for quality control or specialize in sterile packaging.
—Elaine Parker, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025
Flushing the eye with a sterile saline solution, making sure to get under your eyelids, can be helpful.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
The unchanging routines of the characters also make the world feel sterile.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 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 7 Oct. 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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