sterilization

Short definition from Wiktionary

Noun

1. 1
   The process of treating something to kill or inactivate microorganisms.
2. 2
   A procedure to permanently prevent an organism from reproducing.
3. 3
   An instance of a sterilization procedure.
4. 4
   A monetary policy operation used to offset a foreign exchange intervention.
5. 5
   The process of permanently rendering a planet like Earth completely uninhabitable to all life, including even microbes, leading to their complete extinction.