Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Sterilization has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
the act of making an organism barren or infertile (unable to reproduce)
"The clinic offered sterilization as a permanent solution for couples who had decided they did not want any more children."
the procedure of making some object free of live bacteria or other microorganisms (usually by heat or chemical means)
"The hospital staff must complete the sterilization of all surgical instruments before they can be used on any patient."
The process of treating something to kill or inactivate microorganisms.
"The hospital staff completed the sterilization of all surgical instruments before performing any operations to ensure no bacteria remained on them."