How to say "sterile" in Japanese

• 不毛ふもうCommon
  no-adjective, na-adjectiveCovers sterile in the sense of barren, infertile land that produces little or no vegetation; it is also used figuratively of unproductive discussion or effort. It is never the word for germ-free conditions.
• 無菌むきんCommon
  no-adjectiveCovers the medical and scientific sense of sterile, meaning free from germs or bacteria; typical contexts include surgery, laboratories, and sterilised or pasteurised food and drink. It is not used of barren land.

Use 不毛 for sterile in the sense of barren, infertile land that yields nothing (also figuratively for unproductive effort), and 無菌 for the medical sense of sterile, meaning free from germs or sterilised.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 不毛ふもうbarren
• 無菌むきんsterilised
• 無菌性むきんせいaseptic
• 痩せたやせたbarren