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
Ultimately, the music industry should be a playground of endless discovery rather than a sterile filter bubble.
—
Seth Yudof, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2025
The rooms sprawl before her in a series of sterile hallways that seem to never end.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
An enhanced understanding of these factors will help scientists decide how to move forward, potentially encouraging healthier living spaces for astronauts and people working in similarly sterile places here on Earth.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2025
Step 2: Prepare Begonia Leaf Next, remove a leaf from the parent plant and use a sterile razor blade to cut through the underside veins on the leaf about a quarter of the way from the petiole (leaf stem).
—Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
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Seth Yudof, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2025
The rooms sprawl before her in a series of sterile hallways that seem to never end.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
An enhanced understanding of these factors will help scientists decide how to move forward, potentially encouraging healthier living spaces for astronauts and people working in similarly sterile places here on Earth.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2025
Step 2: Prepare Begonia Leaf Next, remove a leaf from the parent plant and use a sterile razor blade to cut through the underside veins on the leaf about a quarter of the way from the petiole (leaf stem).
—Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Feb. 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 17 Mar. 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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