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

Murphy, whose family has been growing oranges for generations, is hoping for a cure to citrus greening, a bacterial infection that together with other factors has decimated the industry. —Mike Schneider, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2025

Debates over tuberculosis reporting began in the late 19th century, when the bacterial infection was reframed not as a disease of the elite but of the urban poor. —Amy Lauren Fairchild, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025

The bacterial infection then spreads rapidly throughout your mouth and tongue. —Francisco J. Rivera Rosario, Health, 11 Mar. 2025

Left untreated, the bacterial infection can damage the lungs and spread to other parts of their body such as the brain, kidneys and spine. —Aria Bendix, NBC News, 9 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bacterial

• bacterial vaginosis

Rhymes for bacterial

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

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