| English Dictionary |
INFERTILE
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| IPA (US): |  |
Dictionary entry overview: What does infertile mean?
• INFERTILE (adjective)
The adjective INFERTILE has 1 sense:
1. incapable of reproducing
Familiarity information: INFERTILE used as an adjective is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
Incapable of reproducing
Synonyms:
Context example:
an infertile couple
Similar:
barren (not bearing offspring)
sterilised; sterilized (made infertile)
unfertilised; unfertilized; unimpregnated (not having been fertilized)
Also:
unfruitful (not fruitful; not conducive to abundant production)
impotent (lacking power or ability)
unproductive (not producing or capable of producing)
Attribute:
fecundity; fertility (the state of being fertile; capable of producing offspring)
Derivation:
infertility (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)
Context examples
If you suspect you are infertile, see your doctor.
(Female Infertility, Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health)
Scientists say they have almost eradicated populations of the world’s most invasive mosquito species from two test sites in China using a novel two-pronged approach which renders the insects infertile.
(Mosquitos rendered infertile by biological engineering, SciDev.Net)
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