adjective Uncommon

sterile

STEH-ryl

Sterile (adjective) means Free from all living germs and microorganisms. Example: “The surgeon worked in a completely sterile operating room.”

adjective

Free from all living germs and microorganisms.

"The surgeon worked in a completely sterile operating room."

"Make sure the needle is sterile before use."

Unable to produce offspring; infertile.

"Some hybrid plants are sterile and cannot produce viable seeds."

Lacking creativity, warmth, or productive results; barren.

"The meeting turned into a sterile debate that went nowhere."

How to use sterile

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither germ-free, unable to reproduce, or (figuratively) dull and unproductive.

Common pairings

sterile environment sterile equipment sterile debate

Word forms

more sterile comparative, most sterile superlative

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The surgeon worked in a completely _____ operating room.

Etymology

From Latin sterilis, meaning "barren" or "unproductive."

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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fruitless

Antonyms

fertile non-sterile nonsterile unsterile fecund fruitful potent productive

Related words

strong successful effective powerful produce weak efficient productive

Rhymes for sterile

file mile tile pile wile vile rile Nile bile Chile smile while

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Frequently asked questions

What does “sterile” mean?

The word “sterile” means free from all living germs and microorganisms. In plain terms, either germ-free, unable to reproduce, or (figuratively) dull and unproductive.

How do you pronounce “sterile”?

“Sterile” is pronounced STEH-ryl (/ˈstɛɹəl/ in IPA).

How do you use “sterile” in a sentence?

Here is “sterile” used in a sentence: “The surgeon worked in a completely sterile operating room.”

What is another word for “sterile”?

Words with a similar meaning to “sterile” include fruitless.

What is the opposite of “sterile”?

The opposite of “sterile” — its antonyms — are fertile, non-sterile, nonsterile, unsterile and fecund.

What part of speech is “sterile”?

“Sterile” is an adjective.

Where does the word “sterile” come from?

The word “sterile” comes from Latin. From Latin sterilis, meaning "barren" or "unproductive.".

Is “sterile” a common word?

“Sterile” is an uncommon word in modern English.

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