English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

noun

microbiology

MY-kroh-by-OL-uh-jee

Microbiology (noun) means the branch of science that studies organisms too small to see with the naked eye, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. Example: “She read microbiology at Leeds before training as a clinician.”

noun

1

The branch of science that studies organisms too small to see with the naked eye, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa.

"She read microbiology at Leeds before training as a clinician."

"Advances in microbiology transformed food safety."

2

medical The hospital laboratory department that identifies the organisms causing an infection and tests which drugs will kill them.

"The swab has gone to microbiology; results should be back tomorrow."

How to Use Microbiology

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe science of very small living things like bacteria and viruses.

When to use it

Neutral and technical; standard in academic and medical contexts.

Easily confused with

molecular biology bacteriology virology

Common pairings

clinical microbiology food microbiology microbiology lab medical microbiology

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She read _____ at Leeds before training as a clinician.

Etymology

From Greek mikros 'small', bios 'life' and -logia 'study of'.

Origin: Greek

Synonyms

microbial science bacteriology

Rhymes for microbiology

eulogy apology zoology biology ecology analogy geology trilogy etiology pedagogy theology ideology

See all rhymes for microbiology →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between microbiology and biology?

Biology is the study of all living things. Microbiology is the branch that focuses only on microscopic organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and single-celled parasites.

What jobs can you do with a microbiology degree?

Common routes include clinical or biomedical scientist roles in hospital labs, quality control in food, water and pharmaceutical companies, vaccine and antibiotic research, and public health surveillance.

Is virology part of microbiology?

Yes, virology is usually treated as a subdiscipline of microbiology, alongside bacteriology, mycology and parasitology, although viruses are not strictly living organisms.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial · etymology from FreeDict original editorial