Bacterial
/bækˈtɪəriəl/
adjectiveIntermediateCommonGeneral
Meaning
Questions
Definitions
1
Of or relating to bacteria; caused by bacteria.
/bækˈtɪəriəl/
adjectiveneutralIntermediate
General
Relating to or caused by bacteria.
The doctor prescribed antibiotics for the bacterial infection.
💡 Simply: Having to do with bacteria.
More Examples
2
Bacterial contamination of the food led to a recall.
How It's Used
Medical
"A bacterial infection caused the inflammation."
Scientific
"The research focused on bacterial growth in extreme environments."
From "bacteria" + "-al", indicating an adjective form. The word 'bacteria' itself originates from the New Latin term, ultimately derived from the Greek word "bakterion" meaning "small rod".
The term's usage became prominent with advancements in microbiology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Memory tip
Think 'bacteria' + '-al' (meaning 'relating to')
Practice
Base: bacteria
bacteralbacerialbacteriel
Usage
20%Spoken
80%Written