sterile

American  

[ster-il, -ahyl] / ˈstɛr ɪl, -aɪl /

adjective

1. free from living germs or microorganisms; aseptic.

   Successful operations rely on timely delivery of the sterile surgical instruments needed for each procedure.

2. incapable of producing offspring; not producing offspring.

   Synonyms:

   unfruitful, infecund

   Antonyms:

   fertile

3. barren; not producing vegetation.

   Attempts to cultivate the land have failed because of the sterile soil.

   Antonyms:

   fertile

4. Botany.

   1. noting a plant in which reproductive structures fail to develop.

   2. bearing no stamens or pistils.

5. not productive of results, ideas, etc.; fruitless.

6. lacking vitality, vibrancy, interest, etc..

   Art can transform an otherwise sterile office into a happy, inspiring, and comforting space.

---

sterile British  

/ ˈstɛraɪl, stɛˈrɪlɪtɪ /

adjective

1. unable to produce offspring; infertile

2. free from living, esp pathogenic, microorganisms; aseptic

3. (of plants or their parts) not producing or bearing seeds, fruit, spores, stamens, or pistils

4. lacking inspiration or vitality; fruitless

5. economics (of gold) not being used to support credit creation or an increased money supply

---

sterile Scientific  

/ stĕr′əl,stĕr′īl′ /

1. Not able to produce offspring, seeds, or fruit; unable to reproduce.

2. Free from disease-causing microorganisms.

---

Other Word Forms

• half-sterile adjective
• nonsterile adjective
• nonsterilely adverb
• sterilely adverb
• sterileness noun
• sterility noun
• unsterile adjective

Etymology

Origin of sterile

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin sterilis “barren, unfruitful”

Related Words

• antiseptic
• arid
• barren
• bleak
• desolate
• futile
• hygienic
• impotent
• infertile