🐶 Able to reproduce 🦠 Not germ-free

nonsterile

4.9

Able to have babies or produce seeds

adjective
/nɑnˈstɛrəl/

Specialized

: no estéril

After the treatment, the patient remained nonsterile and was able to conceive.

Examples

The veterinarian confirmed that the animal was nonsterile and could have puppies.
These plants are nonsterile and can reproduce.
Scientists studied the nonsterile plants to improve crop yields.
Are these seeds nonsterile?
The veterinarian confirmed that the animal was nonsterile and could have puppies.
After the treatment, the patient remained nonsterile and was able to conceive.
These plants are nonsterile and can reproduce.

Synonyms

reproductive

vsnonsterile

139 4.5

Relating to making new living things like babies or young animals

refers specifically to individual ability to produce offspring

procreative

vsnonsterile

3 6.9

Relating to producing young

emphasizes plain lack of sterility rather than reproductive purpose

unsterile

vsnonsterile

Specialized

5.3

Able to have young

is the same meaning but is an alternate form

procreant

vsnonsterile

9.5

Able to produce young or seeds

is the neutral term naming simple ability to reproduce

conceptive

vsnonsterile

9.8

Able to become pregnant

applies more generally to ability to produce offspring, not only conception

Antonyms

infertile

19 5.2

Not able to have babies or other young

sterile

19 5.3

Unable to have babies or make seeds

How Fertile

prolific

7 6.0

fertile

24 2.8

nonsterile

Specialized

4.9

sterile

19 5.3

Surface Forms

nonsterile positive

Morphology

nonsterile = sterile (transparent) = non + sterile

A straightforward negative formation: 'non-' + 'sterile' yields 'not sterile', so the meaning is directly derived from the adjective.

Etymology

Nonsterile is made of non- 'not' and sterile, which comes from a Latin word meaning 'barren' or 'unable to have young'. So in this sense nonsterile means 'not barren' and able to produce offspring.