anti-vaccine

adjective

ˌan-tē-vak-ˈsēn
ˌan-ˌtī- How to pronounce anti-vaccine (audio)
-ˈvak-ˌsēn
variants or less commonly antivaccine
: opposed to the use of vaccines
A handful of parents and anti-vaccine activists told lawmakers … that they believe vaccines are responsible for countless cases of autism, learning disabilities and death.Jim Hughes
… the rising global threat of antivaccine sentiments and vaccine misinformation contributed to the WHO [=World Health Organization] classifying vaccine hesitancy as a top ten global health threat in 2019 …David M. Higgins and Sean T. O'Leary

Examples of anti-vaccine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Pan’s now running for Congress in part to counteract Kennedy’s anti-vaccine policies at the federal level. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Nov. 2025 Steed said her mother was born around the time of the 1953 raid and grew up with anti-government and, in turn, anti-vaccine tendencies. Erika Edwards, NBC news, 1 Nov. 2025 The law is the culmination of a decade of anti-vaccine activism that got a boost from the pandemic. Audrey Dutton, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025 The law is the culmination of a decade of anti-vaccine activism that got a boost from the pandemic. Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 20 Oct. 2025 Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic who has promoted unfounded theories claiming vaccines cause autism, could also tap into what might be called the canine-vaccine-hesitant demographic − where support for animal rights and anti-vaccine sentiment meet. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025 Aaron Siri, a Kennedy ally, is one of Guzman’s lawyers, and the lawsuit is funded in part by the Informed Consent Action Network, an anti-vaccine organization founded by Kennedy’s former communications director. Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025 Pinning the blame on Tylenol instead of vaccines enraged Kennedy's own anti-vaccine organization, Children's Health Defense. ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025 This is a common anti-vaccine talking point. Sony Salzman, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anti-vaccine was in 1880

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Cite this Entry

“Anti-vaccine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-vaccine. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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