Word
antibacterial
Phoneticsan·tibac·te·ri·al
US/ˌæntibækˈtɪɹiəɫ/
UK/ˌæntɪbæktˈiəɹɪəl/
Definition
n. a substance that kills or stops the growth of bacteria. You often find it in soaps, lotions, or cleaning products to help prevent infections.
n. a substance that inhibits the growth of or destroys bacteria. Often used in the context of medical treatments or household cleaning products.
Examples
“The doctor prescribed an antibacterial cream for the small cut.”
“Many modern toothpastes contain antibacterial agents to help reduce the risk of gum disease and bad breath.”
“The hospital implemented a strict protocol for using antibacterial solutions to sterilize equipment between patients, significantly reducing the incidence of post-operative infections.”
Examples
simple
“The doctor prescribed an antibacterial cream for the small cut.”
contextual
“Many modern toothpastes contain antibacterial agents to help reduce the risk of gum disease and bad breath.”
complex
“The hospital implemented a strict protocol for using antibacterial solutions to sterilize equipment between patients, significantly reducing the incidence of post-operative infections.”
Real-World Examples
“The research also contributes to the broader effort to strengthen India's capacity for antibacterial drug discovery and development.” Etymology
From anti- + bacterial.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/antibacterial