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

The antibiotics used to treat the poultry are not intended for humans. —Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024

Their child suffered deep puncture wounds, bruising, missed three days of school due to foot pain and was placed on antibiotics, the lawsuit alleged. —Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024

In fact, by 2020, dermatologists were prescribing the spironolactone to treat acne at similar rates to antibiotics. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024

Retail news roundup Plus, H&M gets a boost, and Chik-fil-A backtracks on antibiotics in chicken By Start Slideshow Home Depot is getting into roofing with its biggest deal ever. —Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024

If antibiotics for the disease are recommended for any dogs adopted from MCACC’s West shelter on or after March 9, the shelter will provide them. —The Arizona Republic, 26 Mar. 2024

But Take Note This formula does not contain corn syrup, artificial growth hormones, GMOs, or antibiotics, but does contain palm olein oil. —Lainey Younkin, Ms, Rd, Parents, 15 Mar. 2024

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

Adjective

Notably, those hospitals tended to be smaller institutions located in rural areas or in urban settings where there was a low rate of antibiotic resistance. —Ed Silverman, STAT, 19 Apr. 2024

But new technologies have opened the door to studying all types of bacteria and testing their antibiotic resistance genes simultaneously. —Chloe Bryson-Cahn, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2024

The complete antibiotic ban, which the chain put in place in 2019, was intended to help lessen humans’ antibiotic resistance, which has been partially blamed on the widespread use of the drugs in livestock. —Emily Heil, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024

Antibiotics destroy both useful and harmful bacteria when taken; that's why most doctors recommend taking a probiotic after a complete antibiotic dosage. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 6 Jan. 2024

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

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.