immune

American  

[ih-myoon] / ɪˈmyun /

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

Etymology

Origin of immune

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

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

Vertex acquired the drug, which treats the kidney condition known as IgA nephropathy, when it bought Alpine Immune Sciences for $4.9 billion in the second quarter of 2024.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

Vertex plans to seek accelerated FDA approval for povetacicept, acquired via its $4.9 billion purchase of Alpine Immune Sciences.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

Publicly traded AC Immune, for example, is exploring their potential to inhibit protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases, according to co-founder and Chief Executive Andrea Pfeifer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

"The triple therapy we used forces cancer cells to die in a way that activates the immune system," says Philippe Bousso, Inserm Research Director and Head of the Institut Pasteur's Dynamics of Immune Responses Unit.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2025

“You saw that for yourself, didn’t you? You were fine for a little while and then you were almost dead in an emergency room. Immune systems are complicated.”

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon

Related Words

• exempt
• resistant
• unaffected