Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Sterility |
SterilityNoun1. (of non-living objects) the state of being free of pathogenic organisms. 2. The state of being unable to produce offspring; in a woman it is an inability to conceive; in a man it is an inability to impregnate. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "sterility" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1321. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Biology & Biotechnology | The absence or defectiveness of pollen, eggs, embryo, endosperm, etc. , preventing sexual reproduction. Source: European Union. (references) |
Health | 1. the inability to produce offspring, i.e., the inability to conceive (female s.) or to induce conception (male s.). 2. the state of being aseptic, or free from microorganisms. (references) |
Medicine | In general, the incapability of fertilization or reproduction. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Synonyms: SterilitySynonyms: antisepsis (n), asepsis (n), infertility (n), sterileness (n). (additional references) |
| Antonym: fertility (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Unproductiveness | Noun: unproductiveness; Adjective: infertility, sterility, infecundity; masturbation; impotence; unprofitableness; (inutility). |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Sterility |
| English words defined with "sterility": Agenesic, Agennesis ♦ By reason of ♦ Infecundity ♦ radiation sickness, radiation syndrome. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "sterility": Brucella suis infection ♦ Chemosterilants, contagious abortion of sows, Cyclophosphamide ♦ Dinoseb ♦ laboratory aide, LABORATORY ASSISTANT, CULTURE MEDIA, LABORATORY TECHNICIAN, PHARMACEUTICAL ♦ porcine brucellosis ♦ swine brucellosis ♦ technical assistant. (references) |
| Domain | Title |
Books |
|
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | These include tests for sterility, pyrogenicity, purity, and safety. (references) | |
Years later, young women who were exposed to DES in utero had high incidences of vaginal cancer and experienced sterility and reproductive tract abnormalities. (references) | ||
After reviewing the existing body of knowledge, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently removed acupuncture needles from the category of "experimental medical devices" and now regulates them just as it does other devices, such as surgical scalpels and hypodermic syringes, under good manufacturing practices and single-use standards of sterility. (references) | ||
Worker Rights | Panama | Workers have complained of sterility and more recently of adverse skin conditions as a result of exposure to the chemicals. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Sterility" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Sterility" is used about 59 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 100% | 59 | 44,010 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expression using "sterility": cytoplasmic male sterility. Additional references. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
sterility | 31 |
fertility and sterility | 26 |
male sterility | 12 |
fertility journal sterility | 5 |
sterility assurance | 5 |
chicken pox sterility | 4 |
sterility test | 4 |
cause of sterility | 4 |
sterility testing | 3 |
cause male sterility | 3 |
in man sterility | 2 |
adult complication mumps sterility | 2 |
female sterility | 2 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "sterility"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | sterilitet, shterpësi (infertility), papjellësi. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | عقم (disinfect, futility, sanitize, scald, sterilize, vainness), جدب (poverty, sterilize, waterless), العقر (contraceptive). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | стерилност, яловост, безплодност. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 不育症 (barrenness), 不育性 , 不育 (sterile). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | neplodnost (infertility). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | sterilitet (impotentia concipiendi, infertility). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | steriliteit. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Farsi | نازاءی , سترونی , عقیمی , بی باری . (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | steriliteetti. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | stérilité. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | Keimfreiheit, sterilität. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | στειρότητα (infertility), αφορία (infertility). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hebrew | עקרות (barrenness, futility, impotence, unproductiveness), סטריליות, קיון (cleanliness, neatness, pureness, purity). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | sterilitás (asepsis), meddőség (barrenness, poverty). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | sterilit (abortiveness, barrenness). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 不姙 (barrenness, infertility). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | ふに"しょう (barrenness, infertility, nonrecognition), ふに" (barrenness, infertility, new appointment), ちゅうせい (fairness, impartiality, indifference, loyalty, mediaeval times, Middle Ages, neuter gender, neutral, sincerity). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Korean | 무 (Aseptic). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | shiastid (dryness), shiastaght, amrideeaght. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | erilitystay esterilidade (barrenness, infertility, poorness). (various references) sterilitate (barrenness, fruitlessness, impotence, impotency, unfruitfulness, unproductiveness), sãrãcie (baldness, barrenness, dearth, destitution, impecuniosity, indigence, meanness, misery, necessity, neediness, poverty, privation, scantiness, scarceness, scarcity, stringency, want), platitudine (baldness, bromide, cliché, commonplace, flatness, platitude), ariditate (aridity, barrenness). (various references) стерильность (infertility). (various references) sterilnost, sterilitet, neplodnost (barrenness, infertility). (various references) esterilidad (barrenness, futility, infertility). (various references) sterilitet (infertility). (various references) verimsizlik (inefficiency, infertility, leanness, poorness, unproductiveness), kısırlık (barrenness, infertility). (various references) стерильність (infertility), безрезультатність, безплідність (aridity, aridness, barrenness). (various references) sự không có kết quả, sự cằn cỗi sự mất khả năng sinh đẻ. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | infecunditas. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words ending with "sterility": intersterility. (additional references) | |
| |
"Sterility" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Caterbility, seriality, sterillity, Strelitz. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "sterility" (pronounced steri"lutē) |
| 6 | -er i" l u t ē | virility. |
| 5 | -i" l u t ē | ability, acceptability, accessibility, adaptability, admissibility, advisability, affordability, agility, amiability, applicability, availability, believability, capability, civility, comparability, compatibility, comprehensibility, convertibility, credibility, culpability, debility, deductibility, deniability, dependability, desirability, disability, docility, ductility, durability, electability, eligibility, enforceability, facility, fallibility, feasibility, fertility, flammability, flexibility, fragility, futility, gentility, gullibility, hostility, humility, immobility, impossibility, inability, inaccessibility, incivility, incompatibility, indestructibility, inevitability, infallibility, infertility, inflexibility, instability, invincibility, invisibility, invulnerability, irresponsibility, irritability, legibility, liability, malleability, maneuverability, marketability, miscibility, mobility, motility, nobility, nonutility, palatability, permeability, plausibility, portability, possibility, predictability, probability, profitability, readability, reliability, respectability, responsibility, senility, sensibility, stability, suitability, survivability, susceptibility, sustainability, tranquility, transferability, unavailability, unpredictability, unreliability, utility, variability, versatility, viability, visibility, volatility, vulnerability. |
| 4 | -l u t ē | abnormality, accountability, actuality, banality, bestiality, bisexuality, brutality, causality, centrality, collegiality, commonality, conditionality, confidentiality, congeniality, constitutionality, credulity, criminality, criticality, cyclicality, dimensionality, duality, equality, eventuality, extraterritoriality, fatality, fidelity, finality, formality, frivolity, frugality, functionality, generality, geniality, heterosexuality, homosexuality, hospitality, illegality, immorality, immortality, impartiality, impersonality, incredulity, individuality, inequality, infidelity, informality, instrumentality, irrationality, legality, lethality, liberality, locality, materiality, mentality, modality, morality, mortality, municipality, musicality, mutuality, nationality, neutrality, normality, originality, partiality, personality, plurality, polity, practicality, principality, proportionality, punctuality, quality, rationality, reality, seasonality, sensuality, sentimentality, sexuality, speciality, spirituality, technicality, theatricality, tonality, totality, triviality, universality, unreality, venality, vitality. |
| 3 | -u t ē | absurdity, acidity, activity, acuity, adversity, affinity, aggressivity, alacrity, alkalinity, ambiguity, amenity, amity, analyticity, animosity, annuity, anonymity, antiquity, anxiety, atrocity, audacity, austerity, authenticity, authority, barbarity, biodiversity, brevity, calamity, capacity, captivity, cavity, celebrity, charity, chastity, clarity, commodity, community, complexity, complicity, conductivity, conformity, congruity, connectivity, continuity, creativity, crotchety, curiosity, deformity, deity, density, depravity, deputy, dexterity, dignity, discontinuity, disparity, dissimilarity, disunity, diversity, divinity, domesticity, duplicity, eccentricity, elasticity, electricity, enmity, enormity, entity, equanimity, equity, eternity, ethnicity, exclusivity, expressivity, extremity, falsity, familiarity, Felicity, femininity, ferocity, festivity, fluidity, fraternity, generosity, gratuity, gravity, heredity, heterogeneity, hilarity, homogeneity, humanity, humidity, hyperactivity, hypersensitivity, identity, illiquidity, immaturity, immunity, impropriety, impunity, impurity, inactivity, incapacity, incongruity, indemnity, indignity, inequity, inferiority, infinity, infirmity, ingenuity, inhumanity, insanity, insecurity, insensitivity, insularity, integrity, intensity, irregularity, laity, laxity, levity, liquidity, lividity, longevity, majority, masculinity, maternity, maturity, mediocrity, mendacity, minority, modernity, monstrosity, morbidity, multiplicity, nativity, necessity, negativity, Nonconformity, nonentity, notoriety, nudity, obesity, objectivity, obscenity, obscurity, oddity, opacity, opportunity, overcapacity, oversensitivity, parity, particularity, passivity, paternity, paucity, peculiarity, perpetuity, perplexity, perversity, piety, polarity, pomposity, popularity, posterity, priority, probity, proclivity, productivity, profanity, progressivity, promiscuity, propensity, propriety, prosperity, proximity, publicity, purity, quantity, radioactivity, rapidity, rarity, reactivity, receptivity, reciprocity, reflexivity, regularity, relativity, religiosity, retroactivity, rickety, rigidity, salinity, sanctity, sanity, scarcity, security, selectivity, seniority, sensitivity, serendipity, serenity, severity, similarity, simplicity, sincerity, sobriety, society, solemnity, solidarity, solidity, sorority, specificity, spontaneity, stupidity, subjectivity, superconductivity, superfluidity, superiority, supermajority, surety, temerity, tenacity, timidity, toxicity, Trinity, turbidity, ubiquity, unanimity, unfamiliarity, uniformity, unity, university, unpopularity, uppity, validity, vanity, variety, varsity, velocity, velvety, veracity, Verity, vicinity, virginity, virtuosity, viscosity, voracity, vulgarity. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "e-i-i-l-r-s-t-t-y" | |
-2 letters: elitist, litters, littery, siltier, slitter, stylite, testily, tetryls, tilters, tritely. | |
-3 letters: lister, liters, litres, litter, lyrist, relist, sitter, styler, stylet, tetryl, tilers, tilter, titers, titles, titres, triste, tryste. | |
-4 letters: islet, istle, liers, liter, litre, lyres, relit, riels, riles, riley, rites, silty, slier, slyer, stile, stilt, style, styli, testy, tiers, tiler, tiles, tilts, tires. | |
| Words containing the letters "e-i-i-l-r-s-t-t-y" | |
+2 letters: versatility. | |
+3 letters: multiversity, transitively. | |
+4 letters: instructively, interestingly, overstability, repetitiously, resectability, resistibility, restrictively, sinterability. | |
+5 letters: aeroelasticity, amitriptylines, distributively, illustratively, indestructibly, intersexuality, intersterility, interstitially, intransigently, intransitively, nortriptylines, presentability, respectability, stretchability. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Quotations: Non-fiction 6. Usage Frequency 7. Expressions 8. Expressions: Internet | 9. Translations: Modern 10. Translations: Ancient 11. Derivations 12. Rhymes | 13. Anagrams 14. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
