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
Panama declared eradication in 2006, and for years, the flies were held at bay at the Darién Gap, the border of Panama and Colombia, with consistent sterile male fly releases.
—
Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
Fighting screwworms with sterile male flies Burgess said the long-term solution — breeding sterile male flies — is months away.
—Jeffrey Collins, Fortune, 9 June 2026
Give me the funky odors and technicolor characters of the CTA over the sterile loneliness and claustrophobia of suburban roadways any day.
—Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026
It’s expected to open this summer and will produce 60 million to 100 million sterile NWS flies a week.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sterile
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Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
Fighting screwworms with sterile male flies Burgess said the long-term solution — breeding sterile male flies — is months away.
—Jeffrey Collins, Fortune, 9 June 2026
Give me the funky odors and technicolor characters of the CTA over the sterile loneliness and claustrophobia of suburban roadways any day.
—Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026
It’s expected to open this summer and will produce 60 million to 100 million sterile NWS flies a week.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sterile
Cite this Entry
“Sterile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sterile. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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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