Synonyms for
Sterile
Definition
Sterile means free from bacteria or other microorganisms. It can also mean not able to produce children.
Synonyms & similar words
Synonyms by register
Formal
Literary
Antonyms
Common collocations
- sterile environment
- sterile technique
- sterile field
- sterile water
- sterile conditions
- sterile packaging
- sterile gauze
Word family
Usage note
Primarily used in medical and scientific contexts to mean free from microorganisms. Can also be used figuratively to describe something lacking in originality or vitality.
Example sentences
- The hospital staff needs to wear special clothing to keep the operating room sterile.
- The dentist uses a sterile needle to give the patient a shot.
- The laboratory equipment needs to be sterilized before using it again.
- The garden soil was too sterile to grow any plants.
- The couple decided to adopt a child since the man was sterile.
Quotes
Cleanliness and order are not matters of instinct; they are matters of education, and like most great things, you must cultivate a taste for them. - Benjamin Disraeli
The most important work you and I will ever do will be within the walls of our own homes. - Harold B. Lee
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. - Martin Luther King Jr.