immunise

IPA/ˈɪm.jə.naɪz/
IPA/ˈɪm.jə.naɪz/

immunise — verb

  • immunisepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • immunises3rd person singular
  • immunising-ing form
  • immunisedpast simple

1. to inject a vaccine into a human being or another animal so that the body become

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to inject a vaccine into a human being or another animal so that the body becomes able to fight a specific illness without getting sick from it

Example

All children in the town were immunised against the flu last autumn.

passive: be immunised against [disease]

Dr. Talia immunised Noor's twins against measles at the health centre this morning.

transitive: immunise [person] against [disease]

Common collocations
  • immunise against
  • fully immunised
  • immunisation programme
  • get immunised
  • be immunised against [disease]
Synonyms
  • vaccinate

    more specific — refers to giving a vaccine as a medical procedure; 'vaccinate' focuses on the action, while 'immunise' focuses on the result

  • inoculate

    more formal and technical; can imply introducing a substance to build immunity, not necessarily a standard vaccine

Antonyms
  • infect

    opposite effect — to pass a disease to someone rather than protect them from it

  • expose

    to put someone in contact with a disease without protection

Grammar Patterns

immunise + [person/animal] + against + [disease]

be immunised against + [disease]

Usage Note

The person or animal receiving the immunisation is the grammatical object. The disease is introduced with the preposition 'against'. Frequently found in passive constructions, especially in public health contexts.

Common Mistakes

The nurse immunised the disease against the child.
The nurse immunised the child against the disease.
You immunise the person or animal, not the disease itself.
The doctor immunised a vaccine to the baby.
The doctor immunised the baby against polio with a vaccine.
Use 'against' for the disease, not 'with' for the vaccine as the main object.

2. to officially protect someone from being punished or held legally responsible fo

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to officially protect someone from being punished or held legally responsible for something they have done, typically in exchange for their cooperation with an investigation

Example

The key witness was immunised from prosecution in exchange for her testimony against the company.

passive: be immunised from prosecution

A judge can immunise a witness if their evidence is essential to the case.

active: immunise [witness] if [condition]

Common collocations
  • immunise from prosecution
  • immunise from liability
  • immunise a witness
  • immunised from legal action
Synonyms
  • exempt

    broader — can apply to any obligation or requirement, not only legal liability

  • pardon

    different process — a pardon is granted after a conviction; immunisation prevents prosecution from starting

Antonyms
  • prosecute

    to officially charge someone with a crime and bring them to court

Grammar Patterns

immunise + [person] + from + [prosecution/liability]

be immunised from + [prosecution/liability]

Usage Note

The preposition 'from' introduces the legal consequence (prosecution, liability). The preposition 'against' is occasionally used in legal contexts but 'from' is standard. This sense is almost exclusively formal and occurs in legal or governmental proceedings.

Common Mistakes

The judge immunised the crime.
The judge immunised the witness from prosecution.
You immunise the person, not the offence or legal consequence.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Immunise, vaccinate, and inoculate all refer to protecting against disease, but the emphasis differs. Vaccinate specifically means giving a vaccine — a killed or weakened form of a germ — to produce immunity; it is the most common everyday word when describing a medical visit. Inoculate is a broader technical term that can involve introducing any substance (not just a standard vaccine) to build immunity, and it often sounds more scientific. Immunise is the most general of the three, focusing on the end result — becoming immune — rather than the specific method. For example: 'The clinic vaccinated two hundred children this week' (action-focused). 'The population was immunised against polio in a nationwide campaign' (result-focused). 'The research team inoculated the mice with an experimental serum' (scientific context).

immunise ↗vaccinate ↗inoculate ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • fully immunised
  • newly immunised
  • properly immunised

Phrases

  • be immunised against
  • get immunised
  • immunise from prosecution

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

From Latin 'immunis' meaning 'exempt from public duty, untaxed, free' — formed from 'in-' (not) + 'munus' (service, duty, gift). The medical meaning arose in the late 1800s when scientists developed vaccines and needed a word for making the body 'free from' disease. The legal sense, still used today, stays closer to the original Latin idea of being exempt from an obligation or penalty.

First known use

1889

1889, in the meaning defined above