antibiotic

1 of 2

noun

an·​ti·​bi·​ot·​ic

ˌan-tē-bī-ˈä-tik,

-ˌtī-  -bē-ˈä- 

: a substance able to inhibit or kill microorganisms

specifically : an antibacterial substance (such as penicillin, cephalosporin, and ciprofloxacin) that is used to treat or prevent infections by killing or inhibiting the growth of bacteria in or on the body, that is administered orally, topically, or by injection, and that is isolated from cultures of certain microorganisms (such as fungi) or is of semi-synthetic or synthetic origin

Symptoms of campylobacteriosis include muscle aches, fever, cramps and diarrhea leading to gastrointestinal illness, which can be treated with antibiotics.

—Chicago Daily Herald

Another way to produce new variants of established antibiotics is to use genetic engineering to alter the biochemical pathways of the microbes that produce them.

—New Scientist

Experts agree that by spiking animal feed with antibiotics, conventional farmers are speeding the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria.

—Geoffrey Cowley

Note: While antibiotics are effective mainly against bacteria, they are sometimes used to treat protozoal infections. Some consider antibiotics to include only those derived fully or partly from microorganisms and exclude synthetic forms from this class of drugs.

antibiotic

2 of 2

adjective

1

: tending to prevent, inhibit, or destroy life

2

: of or relating to antibiotics or to antibiosis

antibiotic drugs

antibiotically

ˌan-tē-bī-ˈä-ti-k(ə-)lē

ˌan-ˌtī- 

-bē-ˈä-

adverb

Examples of antibiotic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And pediatricians are now acknowledging the overuse of antibiotics in the treatment of many childhood infections. —Dr. Sharon Malone, TIME, 9 Apr. 2024

The medical exams revealed a UTI, which staff treated within a few days with antibiotics. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024

Another advantage of the test is that treatment with antibiotics will not alter the results. —Tanya Feke, Verywell Health, 4 Apr. 2024

As of this writing, there are only 50 antibiotics in clinical development. —Howard Dean, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024

Costs have caused others to reverse or loosen their policies on antibiotics. —Emily Heil, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024

As a result, people who are regularly taking antibiotics, blood thinners (including aspirin), or other heart medications (such as cholesterol drugs) should not supplement their vitamin K intake without talking to a doctor. —Discover Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024

He was placed on antibiotics to fight off the infection. —Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 28 Feb. 2024

Animal protein treated with antibiotics doesn’t necessarily run the risk of transmitting dangerous antibiotics or microbes to the person consuming the meat, Price explained. —Julia Landwehr, Health, 29 Mar. 2024

Adjective

Eventually, that could lead to less antibiotic usage and fewer fevers, events of graft versus host disease, and bad inflammatory outcomes, McKenzie said. —Deborah Balthazar, STAT, 29 Mar. 2024

Science & Medicine New antibiotic teixobactin kills drug-resistant superbugs, study says Jan. 7, 2015 In test tubes, cresomycin proved much more effective than currently available antibiotics at inhibiting the growth of several types of bacteria. —Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024

With the understanding that antibiotic treatments at times could be important to meat production, WHO in 2007 developed a set of risk assessments that aimed to prevent important antibiotics for humans from being used in animal production. —David Goldman, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024

Chick-fil-A went antibiotic free in 2014, at a time when other chains such as Panera, Subway and McDonalds made similar pledges. —Ayana Archie, NPR, 25 Mar. 2024

The gunshot wound wasn’t severe, and after antibiotic treatment, the cub healed. —Makiya Seminera, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024

One, the company said, was a surge in use of the pediatric form of the drug after a shortage of a different antibiotic last winter. —Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 4 Mar. 2024

But clinicians and researchers are growing more concerned about this approach as antibiotic resistance becomes a greater threat. —Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 1 Mar. 2024

Advertisement The man’s symptoms began in mid-September with a painful red lesion near his shoulder that failed to respond to antibiotic treatment. —Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

derivative of antibiotic entry 2

Note: Noun use of the adjective antibiotic probably began in the early 1940's, preceded by the frequent collocation antibiotic substance, but was not common before Selman waksman's paper "What Is an Antibiotic or an Antibiotic Substance?" (Mycologia, vol. 39, no. 5 [September-October, 1947]). Waksman has been credited with coining antibiotic, though he does not claim to have done so, and in fact gives an account of the earlier history of the word in this article.

Adjective

borrowed from French antibiotique, derivative of antibiose antibiosis (after symbiose symbiosis : symbiotique symbiotic)

Note: See note at antibiosis.

First Known Use

Noun

1943, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

antibiotic

noun

an·​ti·​bi·​ot·​ic

ˌant-i-bī-ˈät-ik,

ˌan-ˌtī-,

ˌant-i-bē-

: a substance produced by an organism (as a fungus or bacterium) that in dilute solution inhibits or kills a harmful microscopic plant or animal and especially one that causes disease

antibiotic adjective

Medical Definition

antibiotic

1 of 2 adjective

an·​ti·​bi·​ot·​ic -bī-ˈät-ik; -bē- 

1

: tending to prevent, inhibit, or destroy life

2

: of or relating to antibiotics or to antibiosis

antibiotically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

antibiotic

2 of 2 noun

: a substance able to inhibit or kill microorganisms

specifically an antibacterial substance (as penicillin, cephalosporin, and ciprofloxacin) that is used to treat or prevent infections by killing or inhibiting the growth of bacteria in or on the body, that is administered orally, topically, or by injection, and that is isolated from cultures of certain microorganisms (as fungi) or is of semi-synthetic or synthetic origin

Note: While antibiotics are effective mainly against bacteria, they are sometimes used to treat protozoal infections. Some consider antibiotics to include only those derived fully or partly from microorganisms and exclude synthetic forms from this class of drugs.