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

Even if there are no protective antibodies currently circulating in a person’s blood, special immune memory cells should be capable of quickly producing more protection if live measles viruses arrive. — Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 July 2026

Lemons and limes both offer vitamin C and antioxidants that support immune and skin health. — Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 20 July 2026

Yet even popular true-crime podcasts are not immune to cost-cutting. — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

For Donath, that creates a vital issue, and one that these surveillance selfies aren’t immune from even if people are just having a bit of fun. — T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 18 July 2026

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

Rhymes for immune

• attune
• baboon
• balloon
• bassoon
• buffoon
• cartoon
• cocoon
• festoon
• gaboon
• harpoon
• impugn
• jejune

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