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
Technology has advanced at the same rate that freedoms have regressed, and so the film’s sterile world feels caught in a semi-permanent stasis.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 27 Sep. 2024
The sheer fervour from the passionate Bangladesh fans would have undoubtedly created surreal scenes for the World Cup, which has instead been forced to the sterile surroundings of the UAE.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
In the massive operating room, swinging lights hang over an operating table, machines to make sterile ice are at the ready, and metal tables offer a place where organs can be packaged before they’re taken out of the room to waiting patients across the country.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2024
At the same time, modern life depends on plastics, which are vital for everything from sterile single-use medical equipment to the modern transportation of goods around the globe.
—Dylan Scott, Vox, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sterile 
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 27 Sep. 2024
The sheer fervour from the passionate Bangladesh fans would have undoubtedly created surreal scenes for the World Cup, which has instead been forced to the sterile surroundings of the UAE.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
In the massive operating room, swinging lights hang over an operating table, machines to make sterile ice are at the ready, and metal tables offer a place where organs can be packaged before they’re taken out of the room to waiting patients across the country.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2024
At the same time, modern life depends on plastics, which are vital for everything from sterile single-use medical equipment to the modern transportation of goods around the globe.
—Dylan Scott, Vox, 24 Sep. 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 Oct. 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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