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

But there’s plenty of drama also in the everyday lives of flowers, their interactions with crafty insects and hungry birds, with neighbors in the meadow or the forest, with fungal networks in the ground.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Professor Rod Fensham, a botanist at the University of Queensland, said urgent action is needed to prevent the species Rhodamnia zombi from disappearing due to the fungal disease known as myrtle rust.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026

New research is being carried out to understand how underground fungal networks influence the creation of woodland.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

The deaths of two unnamed children, a three-year-old and a 10-year-old boy who had a cryptococcus fungal infection listed as contributory factor, are also the subject of the police prosecution report.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026

He’d even transplanted all sorts of fungal friends to keep Captain company.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman