"An antimicrobial is an agent that kills microorganisms or inhibits their growth.[1] Antimicrobial medicines can be grouped according to the microorganisms they act primarily against. For example, antibacterials (commonly known as antibiotics) are used against bacteria and antifungals are used against fungi. They can also be classed according to their function. Antimicrobials that kill microbes are called microbicidal; those that merely inhibit their growth are called microbiostatic. Disinfectants such as bleach are non-selective antimicrobials."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimicrobial_agents
