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Unable to produce offspring or reproduce; infertile.
Le couple a découvert qu'ils étaient stériles.
The couple discovered they were infertile.
Often used in medical contexts.
Lacking in nutrients or unable to support growth; barren.
Cette terre est stérile et ne pousse rien.
This land is barren and nothing grows here.
Used to describe soil, land, or environments.
Free from living microorganisms; sterile.
Les instruments chirurgicaux doivent être stériles.
Surgical instruments must be sterile.
Common in medical and scientific contexts.
Be mindful of the context when using 'stérile'. In medicine, it means free from germs, while in agriculture, it refers to unproductive land.
Do not confuse 'stérile' with 'stérilisé', which means 'sterilized' or 'disinfected'.
From Latin 'sterilis', meaning 'unproductive' or 'barren'.
In medical contexts, 'stérile' refers to the absence of living microorganisms. In agricultural contexts, it describes land that cannot support growth.