抗 生 物 質(こうせいぶっしつ)

こうせいぶっしつ

noun

antibiotic

medical

1. antibiotic

A type of medication used to treat bacterial infections by killing or inhibiting the growth of bacteria.

医者(いしゃ)に抗生物質(こうせいぶっしつ)を処方(しょほう)された。

The doctor prescribed me antibiotics.

抗生物質(こうせいぶっしつ)は最後(さいご)まで飲(の)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)の使(つか)いすぎは耐性菌(たいせいきん)を生(う)む原因(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)を飲(の)む (to take antibiotics)
抗生物質(こうせいぶっしつ)を処方(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)は風邪(かぜ)には効(き)かない (antibiotics don't work for colds).

Related Words

Related: 抗炎症(こうえんしょう) (anti-inflammatory)

Compare: 抗菌薬(こうきんやく) (antibacterial drug)

Compare: 抗ウイルス薬(こうういるすやく) (antiviral drug)

general

Added 2026.2.13 21:38 · Revised 2026.9.4 21:29

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