immune

American  

[ih-myoon] / ɪˈmjun /

adjective

1. protected from a disease or the like, as by inoculation or by having the necessary antibodies due to a previous infection (often followed byto ).

   Most adults in the study were immune to yellow fever due to previous vaccination.

   Since I had already had measles, I assumed I was immune.

2. of or relating to the production of antibodies or lymphocytes that can react with a specific antigen.

   Crohn's disease is an abnormal immune reaction that causes the immune system to attack cells in the lining of the digestive tract.

3. exempt or protected.

   He thought being rich made him immune from punishment, but he went to jail for his crimes.

4. not responsive or susceptible.

   Over time writers are supposed to grow immune to criticism and let bad reviews roll off our backs.

   You're certainly highly resistant to argument, and also immune to new ideas.

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noun

1. a person who is immune.

immune British  

/ ɪˈmjuːn /

adjective

1. protected against a specific disease by inoculation or as the result of innate or acquired resistance

2. relating to or conferring immunity See antibody

   an immune body

3. unsusceptible (to) or secure (against)

   immune to inflation

4. exempt from obligation, penalty, etc

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noun

1. an immune person or animal

Other Word Forms

• hyperimmune
  adjective
• nonimmune
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of immune

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin immūnis “exempt,” from im- im- ² + -mūnis ( see common)

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Explanation

To be immune to something is to be resistant to it. If you had chickenpox as a child, you should be immune to it now. The adjective immune comes from the Latin word immunis, which means “exempt from public service.” If you're protected — or exempt — from disease, injury, work, insults, or accusations, then you're immune. Vaccinations serve to make people immune to certain diseases. Being a diplomat makes people immune to certain legal persecution. To be immune to bullying means that you don’t let the bad behavior of your peers get you down.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

immune

Even the software sector wasn’t immune from a broad-based technology selloff in the stock market Friday.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

This approach could make it possible to manufacture large numbers of engineered immune cells from a starting population that can be continually expanded, instead of repeatedly collecting and preparing mature cells.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

Beyond its potential applications in cancer treatment, the discovery challenges a long-standing understanding of how blood and immune cells develop.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

This engineered receptor allows immune cells to identify a particular molecular marker on the surface of cancer cells, helping direct their activity toward tumors.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

In the United States, only Florida, eastern Texas, and the upper Midwest seem–so far–to be almost entirely immune.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

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Related Words

• exempt
• resistant
• unaffected

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