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 But the court has never weighed in on whether former presidents are immune from criminal prosecution. —

Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024 Yet Justices also worried about the practical effects of the government’s argument that a President isn’t immune from such criminal liability. —

Nik Popli, TIME, 25 Apr. 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 6 May. 2024.

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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 Apr 2024 - Updated example sentences

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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