aseptic
adjective
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Things cleaned specifically in a way that prevents infection were first described as aseptic in the 19th century. The word combines the prefix a-, meaning "not," and septic, from Greek sēptikos, meaning "putrifying." Aseptic was preceded by more than a century by antiseptic (from anti-, meaning "opposing," and sēptikos), which entered English with the meaning "opposing sepsis, putrefaction, or decay." Both words can also be used, like sterile, to suggest a lack of emotion, warmth, or interest. Evelyn Toynton used aseptic thus in The New York Times Book Review, November 22, 1987: "It's hard not to feel that an element of romance has been lost, that the vast chilly reaches of outer space are a pretty aseptic substitute for the shadowy depths under the ground.…"
Examples of aseptic in a Sentence
Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 27 Mar. 2025
People who grow up in relatively aseptic city apartments are more likely to develop asthma and allergies than those who spend their childhoods on farms, for instance.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 27 Feb. 2025
The reason is that another company, Mori-Nu, sells shelf-stable silken tofu in aseptic packages that comes in several varieties, from soft to extra-firm – while still being labeled silken.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
The condition, known as aseptic arthritis, may also be accompanied by skin sores and fever.26
Sepsis: The spread of N. gonorrhoeae into the bloodstream can also trigger an immune reaction known as sepsis.
—James Myhre & Dennis Sifris, Md, Verywell Health, 14 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for aseptic
Cite this Entry
“Aseptic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aseptic. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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aseptic
adjective
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aseptic
adjective
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