microbiology

American  

[mahy-kroh-bahy-ol-uh-jee] / ˌmaɪ kroʊ baɪˈɒl ə dʒi /

noun

1. the branch of biology dealing with the structure, function, uses, and modes of existence of microscopic organisms.

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microbiology British  

/ ˌmaɪkrəʊbaɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the branch of biology involving the study of microorganisms

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microbiology Scientific  

/ mī′krō-bī-ŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of microorganisms.

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Other Word Forms

• microbiologist
  noun
• microbiologic
  adjective
• microbiological
  adjective
• microbiologically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of microbiology

First recorded in 1885–90; micro- + biology

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Compare meaning

How does microbiology compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• microbiology vs. biology

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Explanation

Microbiology is the study of very small things, both living and nonliving. If you're fascinated by looking at tiny organisms through a microscope, you should take a class in microbiology. If your job involves microbiology, you're probably a microbiologist, a scientist who studies microorganisms and other microscopic things. Notice the prefix micro- in all of those words? It means "extremely small," from the Greek root mikros, "small or slight." Add this to biology, "the science of living things," and you get microbiology. This branch of science involves looking closely at fungi, viruses, parasites, bacteria, and other microbes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

microbiology

Sullivan, a professor of biology and virology, immunology & microbiology at Boston University, explains that bringing an outbreak under control depends on several measures working quickly together.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

That ability to keep functioning while transporting larger bacterial clusters points to possible future uses in microbiology, biomedical research, and precise manipulation of materials at the microscopic scale.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 18, 2026

Study co-author Dr Chris Williamson, associate professor in polar microbiology, emphasised that this "hidden diversity" highlights that further samples are needed.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

Gustavo Palacios, a professor of microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai in New York City, says most human-to-human transmission involves close contact among family members or healthcare providers treating infected patients.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026

In 1971 it was decided that one of the four microbiology experiments must be removed, and the Wolf Trap was off-loaded.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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