Definition of "antibacterial" []

• Destroying or inhibiting the growth of bacteria. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "These companies put alcohol in their mouthwash as a flavor carrier, to provide some "burn and bite," and to give a short-term antibacterial shot to your mouth (and it is short-term ... trust me; mouthwash is not necessary, or even very effective, in combating bad breath or the like.)"
• "They douse their children’s hands in antibacterial gel."
• "The main ingredients in the product—water, aloe vera, calendula, glycerin, vitamin E—were soothing and probably benign but the essential oils described as antibacterial might have been the irritant."