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
The task force usually passes out kits that include fentanyl detection strips inside plastic sandwich bags, along with sterile water and little paper condiment cups, which are used to perform the test; illicit pills should be crushed first before testing.
—
Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
These pitfalls give minimalism a bad name and can make your home feel sterile and uninviting rather than calm and welcoming.
—Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2026
In the bathroom, all-white walls, tiles, and fixtures felt clean, luxurious, and airy, while today the look feels cold, sterile, and impersonal, Trop says.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 31 Dec. 2025
Newer butterfly bushes often have been bred to be sterile.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
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Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
These pitfalls give minimalism a bad name and can make your home feel sterile and uninviting rather than calm and welcoming.
—Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2026
In the bathroom, all-white walls, tiles, and fixtures felt clean, luxurious, and airy, while today the look feels cold, sterile, and impersonal, Trop says.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 31 Dec. 2025
Newer butterfly bushes often have been bred to be sterile.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Dec. 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 7 Jan. 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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