immunize
verb
im·mu·nize
ˈi-myə-ˌnīz 
immunized; immunizing; immunizes
: to make (someone or something) immune to something : to provide with protection against or immunity from something
… the investigation has been slowed by the refusal of seven former and current Hughes officials to cooperate unless immunized from prosecution.—
Andy Pasztor and Rick Wartzman
Andy Pasztor and Rick WartzmanBudding novelists immunize themselves against rejection by recalling rebuffs endured by even the most successful novelists …—Edwin McDowell
Edwin McDowell
specifically
: to make (a living organism) immune or resistant to a disease or pathogenic agent especially by inoculation : to create immunity in (as with a vaccine)
Measles can be almost completely controlled when adequate numbers of people within a population are immunized. —Scientific American Medicine
Scientific American Medicine … immunizing as many citizens as possible before an outbreak makes sense … —Shannon Brownlee
Shannon Brownlee Examples of immunize in a Sentence
Many people had to be immunized after being exposed to the disease.
Recent Examples on the Web
The exception, the appeals court decided, immunizes CCHS’s decision to fire Billard.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 9 May 2024
Among the hundreds of millions of Americans who were immunized for Covid, some number would have had heart attacks or strokes anyway.
—Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times, 3 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for immunize 
Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 9 May 2024
Among the hundreds of millions of Americans who were immunized for Covid, some number would have had heart attacks or strokes anyway.
—Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times, 3 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for immunize
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'immunize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Immunize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immunize. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
immunize
verb
im·mu·nize
ˈim-yə-ˌnīz
immunized; immunizing
: to make immune
have been immunized against polio
Medical Definition
immunize
transitive verb
im·mu·nize
variants
also British immunise
immunized also British immunised; immunizing also British immunising
: to make immune
Legal Definition
immunize
transitive verb
im·mu·nize
ˈi-myə-ˌnīz
immunized; immunizing
: to grant immunity to
the ultimately ill-fated effort to immunize state judges from the burdens of the federal income tax—J. K. Owens
J. K. OwensLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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