Abstract: Plasma-activated water (PAW), as a main form of agents activated by cold atmospheric-pressure plasma, has become a research hotspot in the plasma field in recent years. PAW can store the reactive species in plasma, has similar biological effects with plasma, and can also effectively inactivate bacteria. PAW exhibits good uniformity and fluidity, and can be applied for a variety of disinfection scenarios in different ways, including disinfection of environment and object surface, food preservation, etc. Because of the low irritation and good biosafety, PAW can also be applied for the treatment of infectious diseases in vivo. Based on these characteristics and applications of PAW, a lot of studies have been performed in recent years around the preparation and properties of PAW, the inactivation effects on microorganisms and the underlying mechanisms, the development and application of PAW preparation devices, etc. These studies can not only increase the understanding of the interaction between the reactive species of plasma and water and the mechanism of reactive species in aqueous solutions and explanation of the chemical and biological mechanism of PAW but also expand the preparation and application of PAW and the preparation efficiency and biological effects of PAW, providing a scientific basis for the practical application of PAW. Therefore, this paper reviews the basic principles, research status, and development direction of plasma activated water for microbial abatement, so as to provide reference for peer scholars, postgraduate students and counterparts in enterprises.