How many letters does the top answer for “preventing infection by inhibiting the growth or action of microorganisms” have?

The most common answer is bactericidal (12 letters).

Crossword clue: preventing infection by inhibiting the growth or action of microorganisms

bactericidal, disinfectant, germicidal.

3 answers found in Letterora's clue database (Wikidata facts, Open Trivia DB, WordNet and Webster definitions — all licensed sources).

bactericidal 12 letters wn-def

preventing infection by inhibiting the growth or action of microorganisms

disinfectant 12 letters wn-def

an agent (as heat or radiation or a chemical) that destroys microorganisms that might carry disease

germicidal 10 letters wn-def

preventing infection by inhibiting the growth or action of microorganisms