sterilization.

1. The elimination of viable microorganisms from a material or object through an appropriate process.

2. The removal or prevention of reproductive capacity, especially through a medical intervention.

3. A monetary operation that offsets the effect of another transaction on the domestic money supply or monetary base.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• sterilization of equipment
• validated sterilization

On the page

Sterilization of equipment was verified before the sensitive samples were handled.

Validated sterilization required evidence suited to the process rather than a visual inspection alone.

Usage notes

Primary category: horror / sci-fi / gothic. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: hazard description, speculative setting, bodily condition, scene explanation. Disciplines: genre writing, science-informed description, clinical and safety vocabulary. Commonness: moderately common.