inoculate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to implant (a disease agent or antigen) in a person, animal, or plant to produce a disease for study or to stimulate disease resistance.
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to affect or treat (a person, animal, or plant) in this manner.
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to introduce (microorganisms) into surroundings suited to their growth, as a culture medium.
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to imbue (a person), as with ideas.
- Synonyms:
- infuse, indoctrinate
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Metallurgy. to treat (molten metal) chemically to strengthen the microstructure.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to introduce (the causative agent of a disease) into the body of (a person or animal), in order to induce immunity
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(tr) to introduce (microorganisms, esp bacteria) into (a culture medium)
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(tr) to cause to be influenced or imbued, as with ideas or opinions
Usage
What’s the difference between inoculate, vaccinate, and immunize? In the context of medicine, inoculate, vaccinate, and immunize are often used in overlapping ways, and for good reason—they all involve introducing a substance (especially a vaccine) into a person’s body with the goal of preventing them from getting a particular disease.Vaccinate is the most specific of the three terms, because it always involves introducing a vaccine, which usually consists of a small amount of a killed, weakened, or otherwise modified version of a disease (such as a virus or bacterium). While inoculate has other meanings outside the context of medicine, in modern healthcare it’s typically used interchangeably with vaccinate (though it’s used less commonly).Immunize is slightly different—it means to provide immunity from a specific disease. While the goal of vaccinating someone is often to immunize them, not all vaccines provide permanent immunity. Some vaccines provide what amounts to long-term immunity, while others only lead to a temporary protection, after which the body “forgets” how to make certain antibodies. In these cases, a booster shot or dose is often required, consisting of a follow-up vaccination to boost or renew the protection gained from the earlier vaccination.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between inoculate, vaccinate, and immunize.
Other Word Forms
- inoculation noun
- inoculative adjective
- inoculator noun
- noninoculative adjective
- reinoculate verb
- self-inoculated adjective
- uninoculated adjective
- uninoculative adjective
Etymology
Origin of inoculate
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin inoculātus, past participle of inoculāre “to graft by budding, implant,” equivalent to in- “in” + -oculā- (stem of -oculāre “to graft,” derivative of oculus “eye, bud”) + -tus past participle suffix; in- 2
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.
One crucial way to help inoculate boys against this content, West said, is to ask them questions about the creators’ underlying agendas: “How is this tactic being used to push engagement or push a product?”
From Salon • Nov. 21, 2025
Wilson believed that public anonymity would inoculate the organization against members’ exploitation of AA for personal or professional gain and keep it free from controversy and embarrassment.
From Slate • Sep. 10, 2025
They inoculate about 2,000 koalas a year through wildlife hospital trials and tack themselves onto development projects or research studies in the region that involve their capture.
From BBC • Dec. 29, 2024
Farmers can combat the mealybugs by giving vaccines to the trees to inoculate them from the virus.
From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2024
“You didn’t inoculate yourself yesterday,” I say to Peter.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
