Meaning & use
Sterilized
Last updated
Made free from bacteria or other living microorganisms, typically by heat or chemical treatment.
See it in a sentence
The surgical instruments were sterilized before the operation.
She sterilized the baby bottles in boiling water every night.
A note on using this word
The word also has a distinct medical sense meaning 'made incapable of reproducing,' as with a sterilized animal.
Words with a similar meaning
disinfectedsanitized
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. verb
Deprived of the ability to reproduce, typically through a surgical procedure.
The shelter sterilizes all cats before they are adopted out.
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