microbial

American  

[mahy-kroh-bee-uhl] / maɪˈkroʊ bi əl /

adjective

1. of or relating to microbes.

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Explanation

Something that is microbial is related to or made up of tiny organisms that are too small to be seen with the naked eye, such as bacteria or viruses. A microbial infection is caused by such life forms. Microbial is the adjective form of the noun microbe, an older word for microorganism, "a very, very tiny living thing." A microbial colony is a large number of these tiny life forms living together. Microbial biotechnology uses microbes to create products or carry out processes useful to humans. For example, microbes are used in the production of medicines and fermented foods, such as yogurt. Microbial technology is also used in agriculture, environmental cleanup, and to create some biofuels.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

microbial

The results were particularly encouraging in nonhuman primates, whose liver biology and gut microbial communities more closely resemble those of humans than those of mice.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

They mixed powdered bioplastics into the soil and monitored microbial activity over the course of an entire year.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

The Pac-Man enzyme illustrates how bacteria can exploit these molecular weak points, offering new insight into the relationship between plastic pollution, microbial adaptation, and the future of biodegradable materials.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

Known as DAMM, short for digestion, absorption and microbial metabolism, the model tracks how food moves through the digestive tract, how much energy the body absorbs directly, and how gut microbes process whatever remains.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

Monod and Jacob knew each other distantly; both were close associates of the microbial geneticist André Lwoff.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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