immune
/i'mju:n/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Protected against a specific disease: Describes being resistant to a particular infectious disease, typically due to antibodies or previous exposure.
- Not affected or influenced by something: Describes being exempt from or not susceptible to a particular undesirable condition, influence, or obligation.
- Relating to the body's immune system: Pertaining to the biological structures and processes that protect against disease.
Noun:
- A person or organism that is resistant to a specific infection: An individual who is protected against a particular disease.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- After recovering from chickenpox, she is now immune to it.
- The diplomat claimed immune status from local prosecution.
- Vaccines help make the body immune to certain viruses.
- He seems immune to criticism; it never bothers him.
Noun:
- Survivors of the plague were immunes who could care for the sick without fear. (This usage is less common in modern English).
Advanced Usage
- "To be immune to something": To be not affected or influenced by something (often abstract).
- She is immune to flattery; she sees right through it.
- "To be immune from something": To be exempt or protected from something (often a legal duty or harm).
- The ambassador is immune from arrest under international law.
- Immunity (n): The state of being immune. This is the more common noun form.
- The treaty grants the officials diplomatic immunity.
Variants and Related Words
- Immunity (n): The condition of being immune.
- Immunize (v): To make someone immune to a disease, typically by vaccination.
- Immunology (n): The branch of medicine concerned with immunity.
- Autoimmune (adj): Relating to a condition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues. (This is a compound word listed separately as per instructions).
Synonyms
- Resistant: Not affected or harmed by something.
- Insusceptible: Not likely to be affected by something.
- Exempt: Free from an obligation or duty imposed on others.
- Protected: Kept safe from harm.
Related Phrases
- Immune response: The reaction of the immune system to a foreign substance.
- Immune system: The body's defense system against infections.
- Herd immunity: A form of indirect protection that occurs when a large percentage of a population becomes immune.
Related Idioms
- To have a cast-iron stomach/immune system: To be able to eat anything or rarely get sick (informal). While not using "immune" directly, it relates to the concept of strong resistance.
- He never gets food poisoning; he must have a cast-iron immune system.
Adjective
- (usually followed by `to') not affected by a given influence
- immune to persuasion
- relating to or conferring immunity (to disease or infection)
- secure against
- immune from taxation as long as he resided in Bermuda
- immune from criminal prosecution
- relating to the condition of immunity
- the immune system
Noun
- a person who is immune to a particular infection