sterile

adjective/ˈstɛrəl/

Frequency rank: #8,343 most common English word

Meaning

free from bacteria or other living microorganisms; completely clean and uncontaminated.

Illustration for the English word “sterile”

Example sentence

The surgeon made sure all the instruments were sterile before the operation began.

Synonyms & related words

  • clean
  • sanitized
  • disinfected
  • aseptic

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