Word
antibiotic
Phoneticsan·tibi·ot·ic
US/ˌæntaɪbaɪˈɑtɪk/
UK/ˌæntɪbaɪˈɒtɪk/
Definitions
01medicine for infections
n. a medicine that doctors give you to kill bacteria and cure an infection.
n. a pharmacological agent used to treat bacterial infections by inhibiting growth or destroying the pathogen.
“The doctor prescribed a ten-day course of antibiotics to clear up my ear infection.”
“The physician emphasized the importance of completing the entire course of antibiotics to prevent the development of drug-resistant bacterial strains.”
Usage
often used in the plural when referring to a course of treatment.
Teaching tip
Learners often confuse antibiotics with antivirals; remind them that antibiotics only work against bacteria, not viruses like the common cold.
Synonyms
02relating to antibiotics
adj. describing something that relates to or works like an antibiotic.
adj. pertaining to the properties or use of antibiotics.
“Some plants have natural antibiotic properties that help them fight off diseases.”
“The research team is investigating the antibiotic effects of various soil-dwelling fungi in the hope of discovering new treatments.”
Usage
usually placed before the noun.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“AI tools are rapidly advancing and have already been used to design new antibiotics.” “The best way to stop the disease spreading is to give antibiotics to people who may have come into contact with it.” Etymology
Borrowed from French antibiotique; by surface analysis, anti- + -biotic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/antibiotic