infertile

adjective

in·​fer·​tile (ˈ)in-ˈfər-tᵊl How to pronounce infertile (audio)
: not fertile or productive
infertile eggs
infertile fields
especially : incapable of or unsuccessful in achieving pregnancy
infertile couples
infertility noun

Examples of infertile in a Sentence

an infertile cow is of limited use to a farmer only parched, infertile fields remained after months of drought
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The move would be to the island's infertile interior, which was left uninhabitable due to extensive phosphate mining from the 1900s onwards, which was exported for fertilizer for about 100 years. Alex Ledsom, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025 Everyone knows that 37-year-olds—especially infertile ones—don’t get pregnant on their first try. Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2025 The remaining are infertile worker bees. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025 Studies suggest that around 10% of infertile men have a history of an undescended testicle. Matthew Wosnitzer, Verywell Health, 5 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for infertile

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from Late Latin infertilis, from Latin in- + fertilis fertile

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of infertile was in 1597

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Infertile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infertile. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

infertile

adjective
in·​fer·​tile (ˈ)in-ˈfərt-ᵊl How to pronounce infertile (audio)
: not fertile or productive : barren
infertility noun

Medical Definition

infertile

adjective
in·​fer·​tile (ˈ)in-ˈfərt-ᵊl How to pronounce infertile (audio)
: not fertile
especially : incapable of or unsuccessful in achieving pregnancy over a considerable period of time (as a year) in spite of determined attempts by heterosexual intercourse without contraception
infertile couples
an infertile male with a low sperm count
an infertile female with blocked fallopian tubes
compare sterile sense 1
infertility noun
plural infertilities

More from Merriam-Webster on infertile

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