sterilization

American  

[ster-uh-luh-zey-shuhn] / ˌstɛr ə ləˈzeɪ ʃən /

noun

• sterilizations
  plural

1. the act of sterilizing.

2. the condition of being sterilized.

3. the destruction of all living microorganisms, as pathogenic or saprophytic bacteria, vegetative forms, and spores.

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sterilization British  

/ ˌstɛrɪlaɪˈzeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or procedure of sterilizing or making sterile

2. the state of being sterile; sterilized condition

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sterilization Scientific  

/ stĕr′ə-lĭ-zā′shən /

1. The procedure of destroying all microorganisms in or on a given environment, such as a surgical instrument, in order to prevent the spread of infection. This is usually done by using heat, radiation, or chemical agents.

2. Any of various surgical procedures intended to eliminate the capacity to reproduce in humans or animals.

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sterilization Cultural  

1. The removal of all microorganisms and other pathogens from an object or surface by treating it with chemicals or subjecting it to high heat or radiation. Sterilization also refers to procedures that result in infertility. Vasectomies and tubal ligations, in which the fallopian tubes of a woman are tied off, are examples of sterilization techniques.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsterilization
  noun
• resterilization
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sterilizations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sterilization

First recorded in 1870–75; sterile + -ization

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sterilization sterilizations

Wolbachia occurs naturally in mosquitoes, and scientists found they could exploit it: if the male carries the bacteria but the female does not, or carries a different strain, sterilization occurs.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

The staffers were also early adopters of telemedicine; the deadly nature of the Ebola virus required intense sterilization of anything that came into contact with a patient.

From Slate ● May 14, 2026

America outlawed slavery and Jim Crow, expanded the voting franchise, and banned forced sterilization.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026

"Animals may receive contraception or sterilization to prevent breeding, creating natural comparison groups within the same environment."

From Science Daily ● Jan. 16, 2026

One of the problems of sterilization by radiation is that this requires not only artificial rearing but the release of sterile males in larger number than are present in the wild population.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

In 2024, new research found that despite all the attention on male vasectomies post-Dobbs, the rise in tubal sterilizations among females was twice as high as the increase among vasectomies in males.

From Salon ● Dec. 27, 2024

Vermont authorized voluntary sterilizations in 1931, becoming one of more than two dozen states to do so.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 27, 2023

And several past presidents supported voluntary and compulsory eugenic sterilizations at some point in their careers.

From Science Magazine ● Jan. 24, 2023

“I’ve had more consultations for sterilizations in volume per patient load than I’ve ever had in my career,” Muldrow said Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2022

For a while, it seemed as if the future of eugenic sterilizations in America depended on the foggy impressions of a nurse who had been handed a cranky baby without toys.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• castration
• infertility