An aqueous composition for the prevention, inhibition, or treatment of infection comprising: a mixture comprising one or more synthetic, cationic polypeptide(s) with antimicrobial activity and a second pharmaceutically-acceptable polymer that is not a synthetic, cationic polypeptide(s) in water; wherein the amounts of the one or more synthetic, cationic polypeptide(s) and the second pharmaceutically-acceptable polymer are each at least about 100 μg/mL based on the total volume of the aqueous composition; wherein the amount of the second pharmaceutically-acceptable polymer is at least about 10% by weight, based on the weight of the one or more synthetic, cationic polypeptide(s); wherein the second pharmaceutically-acceptable polymer is selected from the group consisting of methyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, alginate, collagen, polymeric surfactant, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrolidinone, and fibrin(ogen);wherein the one or more of the synthetic cationic polypeptide(s) has a chain length of at least 40 amino acid residues; wherein the one or more synthetic cationic polypeptide(s) contain at least one cationic segment and at least one hydrophobic segment; wherein the one or more synthetic, cationic polypeptide(s) and the second pharmaceutically-acceptable polymer are mutually miscible in water; and wherein the composition is characterized by an antimicrobial activity that is greater than 3 logs killing of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli in standard 60 minute time-kill assays at a synthetic cationic polypeptide(s) concentration of 1 mg/mL or less. a mixture comprising one or more synthetic, cationic polypeptide(s) with antimicrobial activity and a second pharmaceutically-acceptable polymer that is not a synthetic, cationic polypeptide(s) in water; wherein the amounts of the one or more synthetic, cationic polypeptide(s) and the second pharmaceutically-acceptable polymer are each at least about 100 μg/mL based on the total volume of the aqueous composition; wherein the amount of the second pharmaceutically-acceptable polymer is at least about 10% by weight, based on the weight of the one or more synthetic, cationic polypeptide(s); wherein the second pharmaceutically-acceptable polymer is selected from the group consisting of methyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, alginate, collagen, polymeric surfactant, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrolidinone, and fibrin(ogen);wherein the one or more of the synthetic cationic polypeptide(s) has a chain length of at least 40 amino acid residues; wherein the one or more synthetic cationic polypeptide(s) contain at least one cationic segment and at least one hydrophobic segment; wherein the one or more synthetic, cationic polypeptide(s) and the second pharmaceutically-acceptable polymer are mutually miscible in water; and wherein the amounts of the one or more synthetic, cationic polypeptide(s) and the second pharmaceutically-acceptable polymer are each at least about 100 μg/mL based on the total volume of the aqueous composition; wherein the amount of the second pharmaceutically-acceptable polymer is at least about 10% by weight, based on the weight of the one or more synthetic, cationic polypeptide(s); wherein the second pharmaceutically-acceptable polymer is selected from the group consisting of methyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, alginate, collagen, polymeric surfactant, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrolidinone, and fibrin(ogen);wherein the one or more of the synthetic cationic polypeptide(s) has a chain length of at least 40 amino acid residues; wherein the one or more synthetic cationic polypeptide(s) contain at least one cationic segment and at least one hydrophobic segment; wherein the one or more synthetic, cationic polypeptide(s) and the second pharmaceutically-acceptable polymer are mutually miscible in water; and wherein the composition is characterized by an antimicrobial activity that is greater than 3 logs killing of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli in standard 60 minute time-kill assays at a synthetic cationic polypeptide(s) concentration of 1 mg/mL or less.