probiotic

pro·bio·tic
P3R1O1B3I1O1T1I1C3
UK/ˌpɹəʊ.baɪˈɒt.ɪk/Atlantic Canada, US/ˌpɹoʊ.baɪˈɑ.tɪk/Atlantic Canada, US[ˌpɹoʊ.baɪˈɑ.ɾɪk]Australia/ˌpɹəʉ.bɑeˈɔt.ɪk/

noun

A food or dietary supplement, such as a yogurt, containing live bacteria for therapeutic reasons.

Similar
probiotic bacteriumprobiotic microfloraprobiotic flora
Opposite
antibiotic
OriginEnglish biotic ← Latin prō ← Proto-Italic *prō →
UncommonScrabble 15
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Meanings

nounprobiotic (plural probiotics)

plural probiotics

  1. bacteriologyA food or dietary supplement, such as a yogurt, containing live bacteria for therapeutic reasons.

    Antonyms: antibiotic

adjectiveprobiotic (comparative more probiotic, superlative most probiotic)

comparative more probiotic · superlative most probiotic

  1. biologyOf, or relating to probiosis; ecologic facilitation.

    Antonyms: antibiotic

  2. Describing any dietary supplement that contains live bacteria for therapeutic purposes.

    Antonyms: antibiotic

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA food or dietary supplement, such as a yogurt, containing live bacteria for therapeutic reasons.

Opposite
antibiotic

adjectiveOf, or relating to probiosis; ecologic facilitation.

Opposite
antibiotic

adjectiveDescribing any dietary supplement that contains live bacteria for therapeutic purposes.

Opposite
antibiotic

More synonyms by meaning

nouna beneficial bacterium found in the intestinal tract of healthy mammals; often considered to be a plant

Similar
probiotic bacteriumprobiotic microfloraprobiotic flora
Broader
bacteriabacterium

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*pér
  3. Proto-Indo-European*pró
  4. Proto-Italic*prō
  5. Latinprō
  6. Englishpro-
  7. Englishbiotic
  8. Englishprobiotic

From pro- + biotic.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan probiòtic, probiòtic
  • probiòticfood or dietary supplement
  • probiòticthat contains live bacteria for therapeutic purposes
Chinese Mandarin 益生菌, 益菌
  • 益生菌 (yìshēngjùn)food or dietary supplement
  • 益菌 (yìjùn)food or dietary supplement
  • 益生菌的 (yìshēngjùn de)that contains live bacteria for therapeutic purposes
  • 益菌的 (yìjùn de)that contains live bacteria for therapeutic purposes
Finnish probiootti, probioottinen
  • probioottifood or dietary supplement
  • probioottinenthat contains live bacteria for therapeutic purposes
French probiotique, probiotique
  • probiotiquefood or dietary supplement
  • probiotiquethat contains live bacteria for therapeutic purposes
German Probiotikum, probiotisch
  • Probiotikumfood or dietary supplement
  • probiotischthat contains live bacteria for therapeutic purposes
Greek προβιοτικό, προβιοτικός
  • προβιοτικό (proviotikó)food or dietary supplement
  • προβιοτικός (proviotikós)that contains live bacteria for therapeutic purposes
Hungarian probiotikus
  • probiotikusthat contains live bacteria for therapeutic purposes
Italian probiotico
  • probioticothat contains live bacteria for therapeutic purposes
Malay probiotik
  • probiotikfood or dietary supplement
Polish probiotyk, probiotyczny
  • probiotykfood or dietary supplement
  • probiotycznythat contains live bacteria for therapeutic purposes
Portuguese probiótico
  • probióticofood or dietary supplement
Spanish probiótico
  • probióticothat contains live bacteria for therapeutic purposes
Turkish probiyotik, probiyotik
  • probiyotikfood or dietary supplement
  • probiyotikthat contains live bacteria for therapeutic purposes

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with probiotic

eroticexoticaquaticantibioticchaoticasymptoticnarcotichypnoticidioticneuroticbioticsymbioticosmoticamnioticsemioticdespoticoticquixoticsclerotichomoeroticheterotichomeoticautoeroticNilotic
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

probiotic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/probiotic

MLA

“probiotic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/probiotic. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “probiotic,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/probiotic.

Source: probiotic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.