Silver nanoparticles were successfully synthesized from AgNO3 through a reliable, ecofriendly and simple green route using Paederia foetida L. leaf extract as a reducing cum stabilizing agent. UV-Visible Spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis were used for characterization of silver nanoparticles. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were spherical in shape with size range of 4-15 nm. The nanoparticles were face-centered cubic crystal structure. The adopted technique for silver nanoparticle synthesis is suitable for large-scale production. The as-prepared silver nanoparticles revealed excellent antibacterial activity against different gram classes of bacteria and would be a promising candidate for various pharmaceutical, biomedical, and environmental applications. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.