STERILE Synonyms: 119 Similar and Opposite Words

sterile

adjective

ˈster-əl

Definition of sterile

as in barren

not able to produce fruit or offspring sterile couples sometimes choose to adopt needy children the apple tree turned out to be sterile, never yielding a crop of apples

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sanitary

free from filth, infection, or dangers to health the hospitals in the war-torn city often lack necessary drugs and sterile surgical supplies

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of sterile Richet executes the whole thing with an almost sterile cleanliness. — Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 20 Aug. 2026 With that in mind, meeting the strict testing standards requires large amounts of sterile, single-use plastic. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026 In India, this would be a sterile exercise, because full-dose treatments are beyond the reach of any but the very wealthy, said Vanita Noronha, an oncologist at Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. — CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026 Countless others—therapists, case managers, imaging technologists, sterile processing, environmental services—keep the entire chain intact. — Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sterile

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sterile

Adjective

Supposedly posing a threat to their idyll on the outskirts are various marauding splinter groups running amok through the barren wasteland of the American Mountain West.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026
Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough, Swansea City and Birmingham City, all now Championship clubs, have won silverware during Everton’s three barren decades.

— Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of barren

Adjective

As the war raged on, this makeshift countermeasure was replaced by more sanitary and effective innovations, including gauze pads soaked in hyposulfite solution, flannel hoods, tube helmets, and box respirators.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026
Here’s what our pros recommend for dusting your bedroom to keep it sanitary and easy to breathe in.

— Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of sanitary

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stereotyping

sterile

sterility

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“Sterile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sterile. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sterile

adjective

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