sterilize

American

[ster-uh-lahyz] / ˈstɛr əˌlaɪz /

especially British, sterilise

verb (used with object)

sterilized, sterilizing

to destroy microorganisms in or on, usually by bringing to a high temperature with steam, dry heat, or boiling liquid.
to destroy the ability of (a person or animal) to reproduce by removing the sexual organs or inhibiting their functions.
to make (land) barren or unproductive.
Informal. to delete or remove anything comprising or damaging from.

to sterilize a government document before releasing it to the press.
Informal. to isolate or completely protect from unwanted, unauthorized, or unwholesome activities, attitudes, influences, etc..

You can't sterilize children against violence.

sterilize British

/ ˈstɛrɪˌlaɪz /

verb

(tr) to render sterile; make infertile or barren

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

presterilize verb (used with object)
resterilize verb (used with object)
self-sterilized adjective
sterilizability noun
sterilizable adjective
sterilizer noun
unsterilized adjective

Etymology

Origin of sterilize

First recorded in 1685–95; sterile + -ize

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.

Hospitals use it to sterilize medical devices, and some municipalities use low levels to treat public water supplies.

From Salon • Dec. 15, 2025

San Bernardino County officials have made new deals with a local nonprofit to help sterilize and relocate wild donkeys.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2025

To address the overpopulation problem, county officials have approved new deals with a local nonprofit to help sterilize and relocate many of the pint-size equines to sanctuaries.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2025

We cannot even think much about how to sterilize water before drinking it, because there is no cooking gas and no wood to light a fire.

From Slate • Oct. 22, 2024

Once she’d sterilized the cubicle, she lit a Bunsen burner and used its flame to sterilize test tubes and a used scalpel blade, since the Gey lab couldn’t afford new ones for each sample.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023