bacterial
adj.caused by or relating to bacteria. You use this to describe illnesses or things that involve tiny living organisms that can sometimes make you sick.
adj.relating to, caused by, or consisting of bacteria. Often used to distinguish specific types of infection from those caused by viruses or fungi.
“The doctor gave me medicine for a bacterial infection.”
“Washing your hands regularly is a simple way to prevent the spread of bacterial diseases in public spaces.”
“The researcher noted that the bacterial colony exhibited significant resistance to standard antibiotics after only three generations of exposure to the compound.”
Typically used as an attributive adjective before a noun like 'infection', 'growth', or 'disease'.
Learners often use the noun 'bacteria' as a modifier instead of the correct adjective form 'bacterial'.
Usage bacterial infections · bacterial species
“Different phages recognize different parts of bacterial cells.”
“The bacterial species group A Streptococcus , or group A strep, is the most common culprit behind necrotizing fasciitis.”
Common in science writing
From bacteria + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.