sulfanilamide: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1-C2Technical/Scientific
Quick answer
What does “sulfanilamide” mean?
A synthetic organic compound with antibacterial properties, historically one of the first sulfonamide drugs.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A synthetic organic compound with antibacterial properties, historically one of the first sulfonamide drugs.
Any of a group of sulfonamide antibiotics derived from sulfanilic acid, used primarily in medicine and veterinary science to treat bacterial infections.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: British English prefers 'sulphanilamide'. American English uses 'sulfanilamide'.
Connotations
Identical technical and historical connotations in both variants.
Frequency
Rare in general discourse but has equal technical frequency in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “sulfanilamide” in a Sentence
Sulfanilamide is [adj] for treating [noun].Researchers synthesized a new [adj] sulfanilamide.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “sulfanilamide” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The bacteria were sulphanilamided.
- They attempted to sulphanilamide the infection.
American English
- The culture was sulfanilamided.
- Early protocols sulfanilamided wound sepsis.
adverb
British English
- The patient was treated sulphanilamide-ly.
- The compound acted sulphanilamide-like.
American English
- The infection responded sulfanilamide-ly.
- The substance behaved sulfanilamide-like.
adjective
British English
- The sulphanilamide era
- A sulphanilamide derivative
American English
- The sulfanilamide era
- A sulfanilamide derivative
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in history of medicine, pharmacology, and organic chemistry papers.
Everyday
Extremely rare, only in specific discussions about medical history.
Technical
Standard term in pharmaceutical history, medicinal chemistry, and microbiology.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “sulfanilamide”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “sulfanilamide”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sulfanilamide”
- Mispronouncing as 'sulfa-NILL-amide' (correct: 'sulfa-NIL-a-mide').
- Confusing it with later, broader-spectrum antibiotics like penicillin.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Rarely; it has been largely superseded by more effective and safer modern antibiotics, but it holds historical importance.
It refers to the sulfonamide functional group (SO2NH2) which is essential for its antibacterial activity.
It proved the therapeutic potential of synthetic chemicals (rather than natural products) for treating infectious diseases, paving the way for modern pharmaceuticals.
Yes, 'sulphanilamide' is the standard British English spelling, while 'sulfanilamide' is the American English spelling.
A synthetic organic compound with antibacterial properties, historically one of the first sulfonamide drugs.
Sulfanilamide is usually technical/scientific in register.
Sulfanilamide: in British English it is pronounced /ˌsʌlfəˈnɪləmʌɪd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌsʌlfəˈnɪləˌmaɪd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: SULFAnilamide fights bacteria like a SULFAte-based knight.
Conceptual Metaphor
A CHEMICAL KEY that blocks a vital bacterial process.
Practice
Quiz
Sulfanilamide is primarily significant in which field?