bacterial

adjective

bac·​te·​ri·​al bak-ˈtir-ē-əl How to pronounce bacterial (audio)
: of, relating to, or caused by bacteria
bacterial infection
bacterially adverb

Examples of bacterial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
According to a death certificate obtained by Fox News Digital, primary bacterial pneumonia is listed as her immediate cause of death. Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025 There is also a vaccine that targets a specific bacterium that causes most bacterial pneumonia cases, Singer said, but it is generally recommended for older adults and people with underlying conditions. Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025 Having cultivated a collection of gut phages and bacterial hosts, scientists now have tangible targets to study and manipulate. New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2025 The condition is called slime flux or bacterial wetwood. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bacterial

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bacterial was in 1869

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Cite this Entry

“Bacterial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bacterial. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

bacterial

adjective
bac·​te·​ri·​al bak-ˈtir-ē-əl How to pronounce bacterial (audio)
: of, relating to, or caused by bacteria

Medical Definition

bacterial

adjective
bac·​te·​ri·​al bak-ˈtir-ē-əl How to pronounce bacterial (audio)
: of, relating to, or caused by bacteria
a bacterial chromosome
bacterial infection
bacterial endocarditis
bacterially adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on bacterial

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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