allergy

noun

al·ler·gy | \ ˈa-lər-jē

plural allergies

Definition of allergy

1 : altered bodily reactivity (such as hypersensitivity) to an antigen in response to a first exposure a bee venom allergy so severe that a second sting may be fatal

2 : exaggerated or pathological immunological reaction (as by sneezing, difficult breathing, itching, or skin rashes) to substances, situations, or physical states that are without comparable effect on the average individual

3 : medical practice concerned with allergies

4 : a feeling of antipathy or aversion

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about allergy

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Examples of allergy in a Sentence

Many people have some form of allergy. independent-minded people who seem to have an allergy to any control from the government

Recent Examples on the Web

In the case of allergies, chemicals like histamine, which your immune system produces in response to an allergen, can also induce sneezing. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Quick Question: Why Do We Sneeze?," 8 Mar. 2019 People don’t drink for many reasons: allergies, religion, a history of alcohol abuse, a wish to live more mindfully. — Julia Bainbridge, WSJ, "What Do You Call a Bar Without Booze?," 23 Jan. 2019 That means ragweed and other plants start producing pollen earlier in the season, which will lead to more misery for allergy sufferers. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Winters are warming faster than summers. These US cities could lose weeks of freezing days by 2050.," 21 Dec. 2018 The vac uses a high filtration bag and HEPA AirClean filter that the company claims will retain 99.99% of dust from being released back into the air — a plus for allergy sufferers. — Sarah Bogdan, Good Housekeeping, "These Top 5 Canister Vacuums Are Pros at Cleaning Tough-to-Reach Places," 14 Dec. 2018 One lot of Wish Bone House Italian dressing got recalled after a customer noticed a labeling snafu on several bottles that could be an issue for food allergy sufferers. — David J. Neal, miamiherald, "A potential food allergy problem caused 7,768 cases of salad dressing to get recalled," 29 June 2018 The National Weather Service in Indianapolis is predicting rain and thunderstorms through the weekend, lining up a perfect storm for allergy sufferers. — Vic Ryckaert, Indianapolis Star, "Seasonal allergy sufferers should stay inside this weekend because ‘thunder fever’," 17 May 2018 Thousands of allergy sufferers would have no reason to question to counts. — Anthony R. Wood, Philly.com, "Could that viral pollen cloud be real? Well these are extreme times, experts say," 9 May 2018 This year has been particularly bad for allergy sufferers in Washington. — Angela Fritz, Washington Post, "Eyes watering? Throat itching? Can’t breathe? Yep — pollen topped 2,000 Tuesday.," 2 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'allergy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Statistics for allergy

Last Updated

20 Mar 2019

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Time Traveler for allergy

The first known use of allergy was in 1908

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More Definitions for allergy

allergy

noun

English Language Learners Definition of allergy

: a medical condition that causes someone to become sick after eating, touching, or breathing something that is harmless to most people

See the full definition for allergy in the English Language Learners Dictionary

allergy

noun

al·ler·gy | \ ˈa-lər-jē

plural allergies

Kids Definition of allergy

: a condition in which a person is made sick by something that is harmless to most people

allergy

noun

al·ler·gy | \ ˈal-ər-jē

plural allergies

Medical Definition of allergy

1 : altered bodily reactivity (as hypersensitivity) to an antigen in response to a first exposure his bee-venom allergy may render a second sting fatal

2 : exaggerated or pathological reaction (as by sneezing, respiratory embarrassment, itching, or skin rashes) to substances, situations, or physical states that are without comparable effect on the average individual

3 : medical practice concerned with allergies