抗生素抗药性（antibiotic resistance）是抗药性的一种形式，借此特性，一些微生物亚群体，通常是细菌种，能够在暴露于一或多种抗生素之下得以生存；对多种抗生素具耐药性的病原体被视为具有多重抗药性（multidrug resistant，MDR），或更通俗地称之超级细菌（superbugs）。微生物演化对抗生素产生抵抗力。

抗生素抗药性是当代医学一个日益严重的现象，已成为21世纪超级重要的公共健康议题之一，特别是因为它涉及到病原微生物（此术语特别指有关引起人类疾病的生物）。在最简单的情况下，抗药性的有机体可能获得第一线抗生素的抵抗力，从而需要使用二线药物。通常，选用第一线药物是根据安全性、易取得和成本等的考量；二线药物则通常是广效的、有个不受欢迎的副作用、以及比较昂贵，或是情势急迫，局部没有效果。某些MDR病原体，相继获得第二、甚至第三线抗生素的抗药性，典型的情况像是金黄色葡萄球菌（Staphylococcus aureus）的院内感染。某些病原体如绿脓杆菌（Pseudomonas aeruginosa）还具有高水准的内在抗药性。

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), including antibiotic resistance, is the resistance of a microbe to an antimicrobial medication that used to be effective in treating or preventing an infection caused by that microbe. There are three main ways by which resistance can occur: by natural resistance in certain types of bacteria, by genetic mutation, or by one species acquiring resistance from another. Resistance can happen spontaneously owing to random mutations, to a buildup of resistance over time, or to misuse of antibiotics or antimicrobials, although the latter two pathways are the most important. Resistant microbes become increasingly difficult to treat, requiring alternative medications or higher doses, both of which may be more costly or more toxic. Microbes which are resistant to multiple antimicrobials are called multidrug resistant (MDR); in the press, these organisms are often referred to as superbugs. Antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly problematic issue that leads to millions of deaths every year. A few infections become completely untreatable due to resistance. All classes of microbes develop resistance (fungi, antifungal resistance; viruses, antiviral resistance; protozoa, antiprotozoal resistance; bacteria, antibiotic resistance). Of those categories, bacterial antibiotic resistance poses the largest threat to public health.