Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Showing results for sterile. Search instead for Sterilely.
Definitions

sterile

[ster-il, -ahyl] / ˈstɛr ɪl, -aɪl /
ADJECTIVE
unproductive, clean
Synonyms
STRONGEST
antiseptic arid barren bleak desolate futile hygienic impotent infertile
WEAK
aseptic bare dead decontaminated desert disinfected dry effete empty fallow fruitless gaunt germ-free infecund pasteurized sanitary septic sterilized unfruitful uninfected unprofitable unprolific vain waste without issue
Antonyms
STRONGEST
cheerful contaminated fertile fruitful potent productive profitable unclean unsanitary unsterile
WEAK
dirty

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Nearly three hours, the length of a feature film, shot in a sterile diplomatic holding area at Ben Gurion Airport.

From Slate • Feb. 25, 2026

Reality, however, isn’t as sterile as today’s popular fiction.

From Salon • Feb. 6, 2026

To see only “the West Bank” is to view a sterile geopolitical entity: a narrow strip of land defined by 20th-century skirmishes and modern conflict.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

Landau takes out her phone to show me pictures of Rosta and Hunter leaning in close to each other, displaying an intimacy that’s not typical for a sterile meeting room.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026

Soon it was impossible to find a single egg mass, sterile or otherwise.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.