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bacterial
adjective
bac·te·ri·al
bak-ˈtir-ē-əl
: of, relating to, or caused by bacteria
bacterial infection
Examples of bacterial in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
First, early in the pandemic, clinicians didn’t know much about COVID and were nervous about secondary bacterial infections which can require antibiotics.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 29 May 2024
Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can lead to violent coughing, vomiting and even respiratory distress — but is preventable with a vaccine.
—Matthew Cupelli, Miami Herald, 24 May 2024
Winkie’s piece explains why anyone would want to do this (and the first reading list linked above also includes stories that go deeper into fecal microbiota transplants—an unconventional method that treats C. diff, a bacterial infection affecting the gut).
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 22 May 2024
Utah, for example, requires some cattle to test negative or be vaccinated for brucellosis, a bacterial infection, while Maryland requires chickens to test negative for pullorum disease and typhoid.
—Linda Qiu, New York Times, 20 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for bacterial
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bacterial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1869, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing bacterial
Articles Related to bacterial
Dictionary Entries Near bacterial
Cite this Entry
“Bacterial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bacterial. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
bacterial
adjective
bac·te·ri·al
bak-ˈtir-ē-əl
: of, relating to, or caused by bacteria
Medical Definition
bacterial
adjective
bac·te·ri·al
bak-ˈtir-ē-əl
: of, relating to, or caused by bacteria
a bacterial chromosome
bacterial infection
bacterial endocarditis
More from Merriam-Webster on bacterial
Nglish: Translation of bacterial for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of bacterial for Arabic Speakers
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