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
When foreign particles show up in the bloodstream, a space that is ostensibly sterile, immune cells immediately recognize them as invaders.
—
Stephani Sutherland, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
The buildings appear modern but sterile, with a more industrial than futuristic feel.
—Angela Yang, NBC News, 25 Sep. 2024
Right now, researchers are only finding a couple of sterile insects in traps for every hundred wild fertile moths.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
Daniels said consumable products that are necessary in disaster relief such as sterile gloves and medical plastics are also processed through these ports.
—Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sterile 
Stephani Sutherland, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
The buildings appear modern but sterile, with a more industrial than futuristic feel.
—Angela Yang, NBC News, 25 Sep. 2024
Right now, researchers are only finding a couple of sterile insects in traps for every hundred wild fertile moths.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
Daniels said consumable products that are necessary in disaster relief such as sterile gloves and medical plastics are also processed through these ports.
—Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sterile
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sterile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sterile
Cite this Entry
“Sterile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sterile. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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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