sterility
gb/stɚˈɪlɪti/ us/stɚˈɪlɪti/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
C1
state
1
inability to have children
Sterility is when a person or animal cannot have babies.
Usage pattern:
sterility in [someone]; [the] sterility of [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Do not confuse sterility (the condition) with sterilization (the process of making something sterile).
Synonyms
infertility (More common and less formal than sterility in everyday health contexts.)
|
barrenness (More literary or judgmental; used less in modern medical contexts.)
Antonyms
fertility (Ability to produce children or offspring.)
Collocations
male sterility
|female sterility
|cause of sterility
|treat sterility
|sterility treatment
|a diagnosis of sterility
|sterility problems
|primary sterility
|secondary sterility
|sterility clinic
Themes
health
|medicine
|family
Examples
- After months of tests, the doctor ruled out sterility as the cause of their difficulty conceiving.
- Some infections can lead to sterility if they are not treated promptly.
- The study examined factors linked to sterility in older male animals.
Learner examples
- The doctor said sterility was not the problem.
- Sterility means someone cannot have children.
Noun
technical
C1
state
2
absence of germs; complete cleanliness
Sterility is being completely clean and having no germs.
Usage pattern:
maintain sterility; ensure sterility of [something]; sterility in [place/process]
Common mistake:
Sterility is the state; sterile is the adjective (sterile equipment).
Synonyms
asepsis (More technical; often used in clinical training and guidelines.)
|
germ-free condition (More descriptive and less technical than sterility.)
Antonyms
contamination (Presence of unwanted germs or impurities.)
Collocations
maintain sterility
|ensure sterility
|sterility of equipment
|sterility of the wound
|sterility in the operating room
|strict sterility
|check sterility
|loss of sterility
|sterility protocol
|sterility testing
Themes
health
|medicine
|science
Examples
- The nurse changed gloves to maintain sterility during the procedure.
- Any break in sterility can increase the risk of infection.
- The lab confirmed the sterility of the culture media before use.
Learner examples
- The surgeon must keep sterility in the room.
- The package protects the sterility of the instruments.
Noun
formal
C2
property
3
lack of creativity or usefulness
Sterility can mean having no new or useful ideas.
Usage pattern:
[the] sterility of [ideas/debate/work/environment]
Common mistake:
This meaning is figurative; it does not refer to germs or pregnancy.
Synonyms
staleness (Suggests something has become old and uninteresting over time.)
|
barrenness (Stronger and more literary; emphasizes emptiness or lack of results.)
Antonyms
creativity (Ability to produce original and valuable ideas.)
|
vitality (Energy and liveliness, especially in thought or art.)
Collocations
intellectual sterility
|creative sterility
|the sterility of the debate
|emotional sterility
|artistic sterility
|a sense of sterility
|sterility of the environment
|sterility of the argument
|sterility of the style
|sterility of the approach
Themes
work
|education
|arts
|communication
Examples
- Critics complained about the sterility of the dialogue and the lack of emotional depth.
- After years in the same role, he felt the sterility of his work and wanted a change.
- The meeting ended with a sense of sterility—no decisions and no new ideas.
Learner examples
- The team wanted to avoid the sterility of repeating old ideas.
Noun
formal
C2
property
4
land that cannot produce crops
Sterility can mean soil is too poor to grow plants well.
Usage pattern:
[the] sterility of [soil/land]
Common mistake:
In this sense, sterility describes land/soil, not people or cleanliness.
Synonyms
infertility (Can also describe soil, but is more commonly used for people/animals.)
|
barrenness (More common and vivid in descriptions of landscapes.)
Antonyms
fertility (Ability of soil or land to grow plants well.)
Collocations
soil sterility
|sterility of the soil
|sterility of the land
|increase sterility
|worsening sterility
|combat sterility
|nutrient sterility
|sterility caused by drought
|sterility caused by pollution
|restore fertility after sterility
Themes
environment
|agriculture
Examples
- Farmers struggled with the sterility of the soil after years of overuse and erosion.
- The report warned that rising salinity could lead to sterility in large areas of farmland.
- Compost and crop rotation helped reduce sterility and improve yields.
Learner examples
- The sterility of the soil made farming difficult.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sterility
IPA
GB/stɚˈɪlɪti/
US/stɚˈɪlɪti/
Syllables & stress
ster - il - ity (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ster)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sterility
- Plural: sterilities, sterility
Expressions
female sterility
1/fˈimˌeɪl stɚˈɪlɪti/
fixed phrase
technical
infertility in a female
Female sterility means a woman cannot become pregnant.
Examples
- The clinic offered several options for treating female sterility.
- Untreated pelvic infections can sometimes lead to female sterility.
male sterility
1/mˈeɪl stɚˈɪlɪti/
fixed phrase
technical
infertility in a male
Male sterility means a man cannot make a woman pregnant.
Examples
- The specialist explained possible causes of male sterility and treatment options.
- Certain chemotherapy drugs can cause temporary male sterility.
sterility assurance level
1/stɚˈɪlɪti əʃˈʊɹəns lˈɛvəl/
fixed phrase
technical
measure of sterilization reliability
Sterility assurance level is a number that shows how sure we are something is sterile.
Examples
- The documentation states the required sterility assurance level for the device.
- Engineers validated the process to achieve the target sterility assurance level.
sterility test
1/stɚˈɪlɪti tˈɛst/
fixed phrase
technical
test to confirm no microbes
A sterility test checks that something has no germs.
Examples
- The manufacturer performed a sterility test on each batch before shipping.
- A failed sterility test can lead to a product recall.