What does sterility mean?
Sterility is a noun with two related but distinct uses. In biology, it means the inability to reproduce or produce offspring, as in a condition affecting an individual organism or a population. In science, medicine, and industry, it refers to a state in which living microorganisms have been removed or prevented from a surface, instrument, or environment. The distinction is important because biological sterility concerns reproduction, while laboratory sterility concerns cleanliness and the absence of microbial contamination. The word is formal and technical rather than everyday, and it is especially common in medical, agricultural, biological, and industrial writing. Derived forms such as sterile, sterilize, and sterilization are widely used in these same contexts.
nounThe condition of being unable to reproduce, either as a biological fact or as a condition affecting a population. It can also refer to a state in which an object, surface, or environment is free from living microorganisms.
- The condition of being unable to reproduce or produce offspring.
- The state of being free from living microorganisms, especially in a laboratory, medical, or industrial setting.
"The researchers studied the effects of radiation on fertility and sterility in exposed plants."
"Chronic exposure to heat can cause sterility in some organisms."
"The packaging is sterilized before use to maintain sterility in the laboratory."
The plural is uncommon; sterility is normally used as an uncountable noun.
"The study compared the fertility and sterilities of several species."
A single word links two powerful ideas: the inability to reproduce and the absence of microscopic life.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sterility come from?
Sterility comes through Old French sterilité from Latin sterilitas, a noun formed from sterilis, meaning barren, infertile, or unproductive. The Latin root also underlies English sterile and the verb sterilize. Its original sense concerned the inability to produce offspring, while the later scientific sense extended the vocabulary to the removal or exclusion of microorganisms.
Related word forms
How sterility is actually used
In biological contexts, sterility usually describes the inability to produce offspring and is generally used with living organisms or populations. In scientific and medical contexts, it can describe a condition in which microorganisms have been eliminated or prevented; this use is more specialized than the everyday meaning.
Easily confused with sterility
Sterility is a noun naming a condition, whereas sterile is an adjective describing something that cannot reproduce or that is free from microorganisms.