fungal

American  

[fuhng-guhl] / ˈfʌŋ gəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or caused by a fungus or fungi.

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fungal British  

/ ˈfʌŋɡəl /

adjective

1. of, derived from, or caused by a fungus or fungi

   fungal spores

   a fungal disease

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Other Word Forms

• antifungal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of fungal

First recorded in 1825–35; from New Latin fungālis; see fungus, -al ¹

Explanation

Fungal things have something to do with a fungus, or an organism that produces spores. The most familiar fungal species are mushrooms. Yeasts and molds are fungal, and if you see a mildewed area on the wall of your shower, you can say, "Will someone please clean this fungal mess?" The fungal organisms that bear fruit are mushrooms, which you might think of as plants but which really exist in an entirely separate category from plants and animals. Fungal and fungus both come from the Latin, with the probable Greek root sphongos, "sponge."

Example Sentences

He chairs the storied group’s Fungal Education and Outreach Committee, he explained, noting how different this scene was from the usual scientific gathering.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

"Fungal gardens are the most interesting because they are one of the most complex ecosystems composed of multiple members that effectively work together," she said.

From Science Daily • Feb. 1, 2024

Fungal disease expert Arturo Casadevall, a microbiologist, immunologist and professor at Johns Hopkins University, said this was puzzling, because the climates in these places are quite different.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 27, 2023

Fungal meningitis infections are not contagious or transmitted person to person.

From New York Times • May 28, 2023

Fungal spores when brought in contact with a wound on a tree or other suitable place, and provided with suitable conditions of growth, germinate, penetrate the tissues and grow very rapidly.

From Wood and Forest by Noyes, William