disinfect vs sterilize

disinfect and sterilize both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
disinfect	No	No	Yes	No
sterilize	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, sterilize is a hyponym of disinfect; that is, sterilize is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than disinfect:

Other hyponyms of disinfect include sterilise, antisepticize, chlorinate.

disinfect (verb)	sterilize (verb)
destroy microorganisms or pathogens by cleansing	make infertile
	make free from bacteria