Question

An antibiotic is a type of medication that cures infectious diseases. Why does the word antibiotic suggest that these medications would be ineffective against viruses?

Answer 1

The part anti means opposed. Biotic is basically all the naturally occurring organisms. So an antibiotic would oppose an organism like a virus.

Answer 2

The word bio in the word antibiotic suggests that antibiotics kill living things. Viruses have genetic information, but they don't have cells. They don't fully meet the definition of being alive.