Antimicrobial: meaning, definitions and examples

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antimicrobial

 

[ ˌæntiˌmaɪˈkroʊbiəl ]

Adjective / Noun
Context #1 | Adjective

medical treatment

Destroying or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms, especially pathogenic microorganisms.

Synonyms

antibacterial, antiseptic, disinfectant

Examples of usage

  • Antimicrobial drugs are commonly used to treat bacterial infections.
  • Some cleaning products contain antimicrobial agents to kill germs.
  • Antimicrobial resistance is a growing concern in the medical field.
Context #2 | Noun

medical field

A substance that kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms, especially pathogenic microorganisms.

Synonyms

antibiotic, bactericide, germicide

Examples of usage

  • Antimicrobials are often used in hospitals to prevent infections.
  • Hand sanitizers are a common household antimicrobial product.

Translations

Translations of the word "antimicrobial" in other languages:

🇵🇹 antimicrobiano

🇮🇳 प्रतिजैविक

🇩🇪 antimikrobiell

🇮🇩 antimikroba

🇺🇦 антимікробний

🇵🇱 antymikrobiologiczny

🇯🇵 抗菌

🇫🇷 antimicrobien

🇪🇸 antimicrobiano

🇹🇷 antimikrobiyal

🇰🇷 항균

🇸🇦 مضاد للميكروبات

🇨🇿 antimikrobiální

🇸🇰 antimikrobiálny

🇨🇳 抗菌

🇸🇮 protimikrobni

🇮🇸 sýklalyf

🇰🇿 антибактериалды

🇬🇪 ანტიმიკრობული

🇦🇿 antimikrob

🇲🇽 antimicrobiano

Etymology

The term 'antimicrobial' originated from the Greek words 'anti' meaning 'against' and 'microbe' meaning 'microorganism'. It was first used in the medical field to describe substances that could combat harmful microorganisms. The development of antimicrobial agents has played a crucial role in modern medicine, helping to treat and prevent various infectious diseases.