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
Back then, 600 million sterile flies were released each week, the NYT explains, and the fly was eliminated.
—
Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 28 July 2025
This facility will have the capability to disperse sterile flies in Northern Mexico.
—Mandy Taheri
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
But since the female flies only mate one time in their short, 20-day lifespan, once populations are exposed to sterile males, the populations die out over the course of months or years, depending on the size of the outbreak.
—Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 9 July 2025
The outer ring of the flower is composed of showy, sterile florets, while the center contains the smaller, fertile florets.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sterile
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Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 28 July 2025
This facility will have the capability to disperse sterile flies in Northern Mexico.
—Mandy Taheri
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
But since the female flies only mate one time in their short, 20-day lifespan, once populations are exposed to sterile males, the populations die out over the course of months or years, depending on the size of the outbreak.
—Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 9 July 2025
The outer ring of the flower is composed of showy, sterile florets, while the center contains the smaller, fertile florets.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 2 July 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 5 Aug. 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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