sterilize

verb

ster·​il·​ize ˈster-ə-ˌlīz 

sterilized; sterilizing

transitive verb

: to make (something or someone) sterile: such as

a

: to free from all viable microorganisms (as by the use of steam or dry heat)

sterilize surgical instruments in an autoclave

b(1)

: to deprive of the power of reproducing through surgery

sterilize cats and dogs

(2)

: to make incapable of germination

studied the effects of sterilizing wheat florets

c

: to cause (land) to become unfruitful

There, 1,100-degree pyroclastic flows had sterilized the land.

—Christine Colasurdo

Examples of sterilize in a Sentence

The organization encourages people to sterilize their cats and dogs.

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, in 2023, Japan’s Supreme Court struck down a 20-year-old statute mandating trans people to be surgically sterilized in order to change their legal gender marker. —Abby Monteil, Them., 21 Oct. 2025

The team then harvested fresh cocoa beans and sterilized them to ensure that no other microbes were present. —New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2025

It’s used to sterilize medical equipment, including at Terumo BTC in Lakewood. —Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025

In addition, the oxygen produced by photosynthesizing cyanobacteria also made its way to the upper atmosphere, forming another kind of oxygen known as ozone, which, by shielding the Earth’s surface from sterilizing ultraviolet radiation, allowed life to expand onto land. —Chris Impey, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1676, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing sterilize

• pre-sterilize

Rhymes for sterilize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• agonize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize

Kids Definition

sterilize

verb

ster·​il·​ize ˈster-ə-ˌlīz 

sterilized; sterilizing

: to make sterile: as

a

: to deprive of the power of reproduction

had their cat sterilized

b

: to free of microscopic living things and especially germs (as bacteria)

sterilize the dental instruments

sterilization

ˌster-ə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

sterilize

transitive verb

ster·​il·​ize

variants also British sterilise

ˈster-ə-ˌlīz 

sterilized also British sterilised; sterilizing also British sterilising

: to make sterile:

a

: to deprive of the power of reproducing

b

: to free from living microorganisms (as by the use of physical or chemical agents)

sterilize a surgical instrument

sterilization

ˌster-ə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

also British sterilisation

-ˌlī-ˈ