Sterility is the quality or state of being unable to reproduce. The term may be used of plants or animals.
- Sterility in animals may be specific to individuals, or may be a defect in an entire species, for example, the male mule, a hybrid of a female horse and a male donkey, is always incapable of reproduction.
- Sterility in literature and art suggests work that does not arouse the intellect or the emotions.