sterility

sterility — noun

1. the physical state of a person, animal, or plant in which they are permanently u

1.nounB2
Definition

the physical state of a person, animal, or plant in which they are permanently unable to have babies, young, seeds, or fruit.

Example

Doctors told Bilal and Yasmin that tests would find the cause of their sterility.

collocation: cause of sterility

New medical treatments have helped many couples overcome sterility and start a family.

collocation: overcome sterility

Common collocations
  • cause of sterility
  • male sterility
  • overcome sterility
  • treat sterility
Synonyms
  • infertility

    more common in everyday medical talk; can be temporary or permanent

  • barrenness

    old-fashioned and mainly used for land or plants, not people

Antonyms

Usage Note

Often used in medical and veterinary contexts. 'Sterility' typically implies a permanent condition, whereas 'infertility' may suggest a temporary or treatable problem.

Common Mistakes

The couple is struggling with sterility and hopes treatment will work.
The couple is struggling with infertility and hopes treatment will work.
'infertility' is more common for treatable conditions; 'sterility' usually means permanent inability.

2. a situation in which there is no new thinking, imagination, or creative energy,

2.nounC1
Definition

a situation in which there is no new thinking, imagination, or creative energy, so that nothing fresh or worthwhile comes from a person's work or from an intellectual activity.

Example

The director's recent films were criticised for their sterility and lack of original ideas.

collocation: sterility of films / creative work

After twelve years in the office, Sofia felt a growing sterility in her design work.

Common collocations
  • creative sterility
  • intellectual sterility
  • emotional sterility
  • sterility of thought
Synonyms
  • barrenness

    a more literary and dramatic synonym for lack of creative output

  • emptiness

    less formal; focuses on the absence of meaning rather than new ideas

Antonyms

Usage Note

Used in formal or critical writing about art, literature, intellectual work, or public discussion. It describes a type of emptiness or exhaustion, not physical tiredness.

Common Mistakes

After running for an hour, he felt sterility in his legs.
After running for an hour, he felt his legs go weak.
'sterility' is not used for physical lack of energy.

3. the state of a surface, object, or space being so thoroughly cleaned that no bac

3.nounB2
Definition

the state of a surface, object, or space being so thoroughly cleaned that no bacteria or other tiny organisms that cause illness remain on it.

Example

Surgical instruments must be kept in a state of complete sterility before every operation.

collocation: complete sterility

The lab technician checked the sterility of the glass containers before adding the chemical solution.

Common collocations
  • ensure sterility
  • maintain sterility
  • check sterility
  • complete sterility
  • surgical sterility
Synonyms
  • asepsis

    the technical medical term for being free from harmful microorganisms

  • cleanliness

    more general; a clean surface is not necessarily sterile

Antonyms
  • contamination

    the presence of unwanted or harmful substances or germs

Usage Note

Common in medical, laboratory, and food-production contexts. 'Sterility' describes the state itself, while 'sterilisation' refers to the process of achieving it. Do not confuse with general 'cleanliness' — a clean surface can still carry germs.

Common Mistakes

I washed the dishes to ensure their sterility.
I washed the dishes to make them clean.
'sterility' is a medical/lab term for complete germ elimination, not everyday cleaning.

Word family

  • sterile
    adjectiveB2
  • sterilise
    verbB2
  • sterilize
    verbB2
  • sterilisation
    nounB2
  • sterilization
    nounB2
  • sterilised
    adjectiveB2
  • sterilized
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Sterility', 'infertility', and 'barrenness' all describe the inability to produce offspring, but they differ in tone and use. 'Infertility' is the most common term in modern medicine and everyday speech — it covers both temporary and permanent conditions and is the standard word used by doctors when discussing a couple's ability to conceive. 'Sterility' is more technical and tends to imply a permanent, irreversible condition; you are more likely to see it in biology textbooks or veterinary reports than in a fertility clinic consultation. 'Barrenness' is the oldest and most literary of the three, now rarely used for people (it can sound harsh) and mostly applied to land or plants that cannot support life. For example, a doctor would say 'the couple is being treated for infertility,' while a biology article might refer to 'the sterility of hybrid animals such as mules.' A novel might describe 'the barrenness of the dried-up soil.'

sterility ↗infertility ↗barrenness

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • state of sterility
  • period of sterility

Prepositions

  • result in sterility
  • lead to sterility
  • suffer from sterility

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Sterility comes from the Latin word 'sterilitas', meaning 'unfruitfulness' or 'barrenness', which is formed from 'sterilis' (barren, unproductive). The word entered English in the 1400s, first used for land that could not grow crops. By the 1500s it was also being applied to people and animals unable to reproduce, and by the 1800s it had taken on the additional meaning of a completely germ-free state — an extension of the idea of something being 'empty' of life.