sterile

UK: /ˈstɛraɪl/ US: /ˈstɛrɪl/ ,(ster′il or, esp. Brit., -īl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ster•ile /ˈstɛrɪl/   adj. 

1. Microbiology free from living germs, bacteria, or microorganisms:
   a sterile environment for operating on patients.
2. Microbiology not able to produce young:
   fears that nuclear radiation made people sterile.
3. Microbiology not producing vegetation:
   sterile soil.
4. not producing results, ideas, etc.; fruitless:
   scientists engaged in sterile research.

ste•ril•i•ty /stəˈrɪlɪti/  n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ster•ile  (ster′il or, esp. Brit., -īl), adj. 

1. Microbiology free from living germs or microorganisms; aseptic:
   sterile surgical instruments.
2. Microbiology incapable of producing offspring;
   not producing offspring.
3. Microbiology barren;
   not producing vegetation:
   sterile soil.
4. [Bot.]
   • Botany noting a plant in which reproductive structures fail to develop.
   • Botany bearing no stamens or pistils.
5. not productive of results, ideas, etc.;
   fruitless.

• Latin sterilis unfruitful
• 1545–55

ster′ile•ly, adv. 
ste•ril•i•ty  (stə ril′i tē), ster′ile•ness, n.  Synonyms

• 2. infecund, unfruitful.

Antonyms

• 2, 3. fertile.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sterile / ˈstɛraɪl/ 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

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin sterilis

ˈsterilely adverb

sterility / stɛˈrɪlɪtɪ/ noun