What does "sterilization" mean?

The process of treating something to kill or inactivate microorganisms.

Sterilization

Common synonyms include: decontamination, fumigation, hygiene, orchidectomy, sanitation, sterilisation.

noun

noun ·5 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
The process of treating something to kill or inactivate microorganisms. British, English, Oxford, US, uncountable
"Heat sterilization is used during canning so the food can be safely stored for long periods."
2
the procedure of making some object free of live bacteria or other microorganisms (usually by heat or chemical means) wordnet
3
A procedure to permanently prevent an organism from reproducing. British, English, Oxford, US, uncountable
"Spaying a cat is a form of sterilization to limit the population growth."
4
the act of making an organism barren or infertile (unable to reproduce) wordnet
5
An instance of a sterilization procedure. British, English, Oxford, US, countable
"The vet performed several sterilizations this week."

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6
A monetary policy operation used to offset a foreign exchange intervention. British, English, Oxford, US, uncountable
"The Federal Reserve is responsible for foreign exchange sterilization."
7
The process of permanently rendering a planet like Earth completely uninhabitable to all life, including even microbes, leading to their complete extinction. British, English, Oxford, US, uncountable
"In about 1 billion years, the increasing heat from the Sun as it gradually ages, by triggering a runaway greenhouse effect that will boil away the oceans, will lead to the complete sterilization of all life on Earth."

"Forced sterilization is a crime against humanity."

From sterile + -ization or sterilize + -ation.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.