immune

Q: Is it 'immune to' or 'immune from'?

In most cases , if you are immune to something, it has no effect on you—for example, you might be immune to a disease or to criticism. If you are immune from something, it cannot reach you—for example, you might be immune from prosecution in a plea bargain.

Q: What is herd immunity?

The term herd immunity refers to a reduction in the likelihood of someone catching a specific infectious disease because a significant proportion of the people in that person's community are immune to it. If you are less likely to come in contact with an infectious person, you're less likely to get infected yourself. The people in a community can be immune to a particular disease especially through previous exposure or vaccination.

adjective

im·mune i-ˈmyün

Synonyms of immune next

: not susceptible or responsive

immune to all pleas

especially : having a high degree of resistance to a disease

immune to diphtheria

: produced by, involved in, or concerned with immunity or an immune response

immune agglutinins

immune globulins

: having or producing antibodies or lymphocytes capable of reacting with a specific antigen

an immune serum

: marked by protection

some criminal leaders are immune from arrest

: free, exempt

immune from further taxation

immune noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it 'immune to' or 'immune from'?

In most cases, if you are immune to something, it has no effect on you—for example, you might be immune to a disease or to criticism. If you are immune from something, it cannot reach you—for example, you might be immune from prosecution in a plea bargain.

What is the immune system?

The immune system is what protects your body from diseases and infections. It's the bodily system that produces the immune response to defend your body from foreign substances, cells, and tissues. The immune system includes various parts of the body including the thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, special deposits of lymphoid tissue (such as those in the gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow), macrophages, lymphocytes including the B cells and T cells, and antibodies.

What is herd immunity?

The term herd immunity refers to a reduction in the likelihood of someone catching a specific infectious disease because a significant proportion of the people in that person's community are immune to it. If you are less likely to come in contact with an infectious person, you're less likely to get infected yourself. The people in a community can be immune to a particular disease especially through previous exposure or vaccination.

Examples of immune in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Vaccines expose your immune cells to inactivated versions of a pathogen, providing them with practice sessions to recognize and combat the real threat with speed and precision. —

Discover Magazine, 22 June 2024 And as clinicians begin to explore the potential of radiopharmaceutical treatments when they’re paired with other agents that stimulate antitumor immune reactions, Behrenbruch proposes that causing some damage to the surrounding tissue might actually be desirable. —

Elie Dolgin, Ars Technica, 21 June 2024 But even a movie star isn’t immune from the Phoenix heat. —

Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 20 June 2024 Trump might not be immune from everything, but the delay is what counts The Supreme Court’s decision to wait until the final two weeks of June to determine whether Trump has partial, full, or no immunity is in itself a small victory for the former president. —

Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 20 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for immune

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'immune.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin immunis, from in- + munia services, obligations; akin to Latin munus service — more at mean

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3b

Time Traveler

The first known use of immune was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Immune.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immune. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

immune

adjective

im·mune im-ˈyün

: exempt entry 1

immune from punishment

: not influenced by something

immune to persuasion

: having a high degree of resistance to an illness or disease

: containing or producing antibodies

Medical Definition

immune

1 of 2 adjective

im·mune im-ˈyün

: not susceptible or responsive

especially : having a high degree of resistance to a disease

immune to diphtheria

: having or producing antibodies or lymphocytes capable of reacting with a specific antigen

an immune serum

: produced by, involved in, or concerned with immunity or an immune response

immune agglutinins

immune

2 of 2 noun

: an immune individual

Legal Definition

immune

adjective

im·mune i-ˈmyün

: having immunity : exempt

Last Updated: 28 Jun 2024 - Updated example sentences

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

swole

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

immune

adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Examples of immune in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near immune

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

Legal Definition