bacterial

adjective

bac·​te·​ri·​al bak-ˈtir-ē-əl 

: of, relating to, or caused by bacteria

bacterial infection

bacterially

bak-ˈtir-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

Examples of bacterial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Expanding access to telehealth, urgent care networks, and pharmacist prescribing authorities can address access barriers while preserving the diagnostic evaluation that distinguishes a bacterial infection from a viral one. — Robert Glatter, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Flea beetles also transmit diseases such as bacterial wilt to corn. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 June 2026

Larvae emerge and immediately start to feed, tearing into the host animal’s tissue, causing sores to expand and deepen and sometimes creating secondary bacterial superinfections, according to the CDC. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 22 June 2026

Ferns can also suffer from fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases. — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 22 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bacterial

• bacterial vaginosis

Rhymes for bacterial

• cereal
• virial
• antibacterial
• biomaterial
• mycobacterial
• arterial
• ethereal
• funereal
• imperial
• material
• sidereal
• venereal

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

bacterially

-ə-lē 

adverb