Any surgical operation to terminate the possibility of reproduction. In women, this is normally achieved by sealing or tying off the Fallopian tubes (tubal ligation) so that fertilization can no longer take place. In men, the transmission of sperm is blocked by vasectomy.
Sterilization is a safe alternative to contraception and may be encouraged by governments to limit population growth or as part of a selective-breeding policy (see eugenics).
(Alternate spelling: sterilisation).
1. The act of making an organism barren or infertile (unable to reproduce); SYN. sterilisation.
2. The procedure of making some object free of live bacteria of other microorganisms (usually by heat or chemical means); SYN. sterilsation.