immune

adjective

im·​mune i-ˈmyün 

1

: not susceptible or responsive

immune to all pleas

especially : having a high degree of resistance to a disease

immune to diphtheria

2

a

: produced by, involved in, or concerned with immunity or an immune response

immune agglutinins

immune globulins

b

: having or producing antibodies or lymphocytes capable of reacting with a specific antigen

an immune serum

3

a

: marked by protection

some criminal leaders are immune from arrest

b

: free, exempt

immune from further taxation

immune noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it 'immune to' or 'immune from'?

In most cases, if you are immune to something, it has no effect on you—for example, you might be immune to a disease or to criticism. If you are immune from something, it cannot reach you—for example, you might be immune from prosecution in a plea bargain.

What is the immune system?

The immune system is what protects your body from diseases and infections. It's the bodily system that produces the immune response to defend your body from foreign substances, cells, and tissues. The immune system includes various parts of the body including the thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, special deposits of lymphoid tissue (such as those in the gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow), macrophages, lymphocytes including the B cells and T cells, and antibodies.

What is herd immunity?

The term herd immunity refers to a reduction in the likelihood of someone catching a specific infectious disease because a significant proportion of the people in that person's community are immune to it. If you are less likely to come in contact with an infectious person, you're less likely to get infected yourself. The people in a community can be immune to a particular disease especially through previous exposure or vaccination.

Examples of immune in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But the court has never weighed in on whether former presidents are immune from criminal prosecution. —Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024

Yet Justices also worried about the practical effects of the government’s argument that a President isn’t immune from such criminal liability. —Nik Popli, TIME, 25 Apr. 2024

The Supreme Court has never before addressed whether a former president is immune from criminal prosecution, and the outcome of the legal battle will determine whether Smith's case heads to trial. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2024

Smith insists former presidents have never been immune from prosecution and have always been aware of the potential for prosecution. —Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2024

How contagious is measles? Up to 90% of people not immune to the disease who are exposed to measles can become infected with it, health officials said. —The Indianapolis Star, 22 Apr. 2024

Despite Democrats holding majorities, their effort is not immune to resistance as the state has a strong hunting tradition and vocal advocates for gun owner rights. —Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 16 Apr. 2024

All the cases have been delayed by pretrial proceedings -- including the Supreme Court's decision to take up the question of whether or not former presidents are immune from prosecution -- narrowing the window for these cases to go to trial before the fall. —Erik Larson and Patricia Hurtado Bloomberg News (tns), arkansasonline.com, 15 Apr. 2024

Of course no one in East Palestine is immune from the fears that the derailment could lead to major health problems years from now. —Josh Funk, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin immunis, from in- + munia services, obligations; akin to Latin munus service — more at mean

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3b

Phrases Containing immune

• acquired immune deficiency syndrome
• hyper-immune
• immune-compromised
• immune response
• immune surveillance
• immune system
• intravenous immune globulin

Kids Definition

immune

adjective

im·​mune im-ˈyün 

1

: exempt entry 1

immune from punishment

2

a

: not influenced by something

immune to persuasion

b

: having a high degree of resistance to an illness or disease

3

: containing or producing antibodies

Medical Definition

immune

1 of 2 adjective

im·​mune im-ˈyün 

1

: not susceptible or responsive

especially : having a high degree of resistance to a disease

immune to diphtheria

2

a

: having or producing antibodies or lymphocytes capable of reacting with a specific antigen

an immune serum

b

: produced by, involved in, or concerned with immunity or an immune response

immune agglutinins

immune

2 of 2 noun

: an immune individual

Legal Definition

immune

adjective

im·​mune i-ˈmyün 

: having immunity : exempt