- the act or procedure of sterilizing or making sterile
- the state of being sterile; sterilized condition
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ster•i•li•za•tion
(ster′ə lə zā′shən),USA pronunciation n.
- Medicine, Surgerythe act of sterilizing.
- Medicine, Laboratorythe condition of being sterilized.
- Medicine, Laboratorythe destruction of all living microorganisms, as pathogenic or saprophytic bacteria, vegetative forms, and spores.
- sterile + -ization 1870–75
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
sterilization, sterilisation /ˌstɛrɪlaɪˈzeɪʃən/ n
ster•i•lize /ˈstɛrəˌlaɪz/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object], -lized, -liz•ing.
ster•i•liz•er, n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Laboratoryto cleanse by destroying bacteria, microorganisms, parasites, etc., usually by heating at a high temperature:sterilized the operating instruments.
- Medicine, Surgeryto make or cause (a person or animal) to be unable to produce young, by removing or interfering with the normal operation of the sex organs.
ster•i•liz•er, n. [countable]
ster•i•lize
(ster′ə līz′),USA pronunciation v.t., -lized, -liz•ing.
ster′i•liz′a•ble, adj.
ster′i•liz′a•bil′i•ty, n.
ster′i•liz′er, n.
- Laboratory, Medicineto destroy microorganisms in or on, usually by bringing to a high temperature with steam, dry heat, or boiling liquid.
- Medicine, Surgeryto destroy the ability of (a person or animal) to reproduce by removing the sex organs or inhibiting their functions.
- Agriculture, Botanyto make (land) barren or unproductive.
- Informal Termsto delete or remove anything comprising or damaging from:to sterilize a government document before releasing it to the press.
- Informal Termsto isolate or completely protect from unwanted, unauthorized, or unwholesome activities, attitudes, influences, etc.:You can't sterilize children against violence.
- sterile + -ize 1685–95
ster′i•liz′a•bil′i•ty, n.
ster′i•liz′er, n.
'sterilization' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):