(こうせいぶっしつ)

こうせいぶっしつ
noun
antibiotic
1. antibiotic
A type of medication used to treat bacterial infections by killing or inhibiting the growth of bacteria.
医者(いしゃ)抗生物質(こうせいぶっしつ)処方(しょほう)された。
The doctor prescribed me antibiotics.
抗生物質(こうせいぶっしつ)最後(さいご)まで()みきってください。
Please take the full course of antibiotics.
抗生物質(こうせいぶっしつ)使(つか)いすぎは耐性菌(たいせいきん)()原因(げんいん)になる。
Overuse of antibiotics is a cause of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

USAGE:
抗生物質(こうせいぶっしつ) is the formal/technical term for antibiotics. In everyday conversation, people often simply say 抗生剤(こうせいざい) or informally refer to them as their specific medication name.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 抗生物質(こうせいぶっしつ)()む (to take antibiotics)
  • 抗生物質(こうせいぶっしつ)処方(しょほう)する (to prescribe antibiotics)
  • 抗生物質(こうせいぶっしつ)耐性(たいせい) (antibiotic resistance)

IMPORTANT DISTINCTION:
Antibiotics treat bacterial infections, not viral ones. Japanese doctors sometimes explain this as 抗生物質(こうせいぶっしつ)風邪(かぜ)には()かない (antibiotics don't work for colds).