Definition of sterile
1 a
: failing to bear or incapable of producing fruit or spores
b
: failing to produce or incapable of producing offspring
- a sterile hybrid
c
: incapable of germinating
- sterile spores
d
of a flower
: neither perfect nor pistillate
2 a
: unproductive of vegetation
- a sterile arid region
b
: free from living organisms and especially pathogenic microorganisms
- a sterile syringe
c
: lacking in stimulating emotional or intellectual quality : lifeless
- a sterile work of art
