sterility

[ stuh-ril-i-tee ]

noun

1. the fact or condition of being free from living germs or microorganisms:

   Perhaps the most critical aspect of packaging is the barrier seal that maintains the sterility of the product.

2. the fact or condition of being incapable of producing offspring:

   A growing body of studies have linked these foods to birth defects, fertility problems, and sterility.

3. the fact or condition of not producing vegetation; barrenness:

   Effects of desertification include land degradation, soil sterility and erosion, and loss of biodiversity.

4. failure to produce results, ideas, etc.; fruitlessness:

   One indication of the sterility of the authors’ approach is the lack of any questions for further study emerging from their 400-page book.

5. the quality of lacking vitality, vibrancy, interest, etc.:

   The sterility of the white decor was counterbalanced with woven accents, pops of color, and an eclectic display of handcrafted finds.

6. Botany. the inability, or limited ability, of a plant to produce pollen or ova:

   The study showed that high temperatures cause male sterility in rice plants.

Other Words From

• an·ti·ste·ril·i·ty noun
• non·ste·ril·i·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sterility¹

First recorded in 1400–50; from Latin sterilitāt-, stem of sterilitās, equivalent to sterili(s) “barren, unfruitful” + -tās -ty ²( def ); sterile ( def )

Example Sentences

In these interludes’ coolly composed sterility — they don’t work as short dramas or companion visuals — we can see the rare misstep of a doc god who’s done more than anyone to brilliantly hybridize nonfiction filmmaking.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s the expansion of commercial and residential properties, the simmering poison of pesticides and herbicides, the near-bald lawns over-mowed to sterility, the noxious blasts of hateful-white LED streetlights.

From Salon

Most recently, drug company Brassica Pharma recalled four eye ointments sold in stores, including Walmart and CVS, after a Food and Drug Administration inspection flagged potential sterility issues.

From Seattle Times

In Bryant Park, species that are typically arboreal can be seen foraging on the ground, which Willow, the naturalist, speculates is due to the sterility of the ubiquitous planetrees.

From Slate

A widespread bacteria called Wolbachia and a virus that it carries can cause sterility in male insects by hijacking their sperm, preventing them from fertilizing eggs of females that do not have the same combination of bacteria and virus.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• impotence
• infertility