immunology
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of immunology
Explanation
Immunology is the science of body systems that protect against infection. It's thanks to immunology that we're able to treat and prevent so many diseases today. Immunology is formed by adding the suffix -ology, or "science," to immune, or "exempt from a disease." Scientists and doctors who specialize in immunology study the way our immune systems function (and sometimes malfunction) as they work to defend us from viruses and bacteria. Immunologists are also instrumental in creating vaccines against new diseases and promising treatments like cancer immunotherapy, which boost the patient's own immune system.
Vocabulary lists containing immunology
Microbiology - High School
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Microbiology - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It also would authorize the state to enter a partnership with an immunology and immunotherapy research institute selected by the California Department of Public Health and allocate half of the bond revenue to it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Susan Disney Lord, board co-chair of Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, said the proposed measure offers hope by supporting “breakthrough immunology research that would change the future for millions of people.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Regulatory changes last decade, when China made biotech a national priority, have made the country a hub for early-stage oncology and immunology research in particular.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
The acquisition of Merida Biosciences bolsters Eli Lilly’s immunology portfolio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Vincent Racaniello, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University, who once calculated that he’s grown about 800 billion HeLa cells for his own research, says that restricting HeLa cell use would be disastrous.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
