immune response

noun

: a bodily response to an antigen that occurs when lymphocytes identify the antigenic molecule as foreign and induce the formation of antibodies and lymphocytes capable of reacting with it and rendering it harmless

called also immune reaction

Examples of immune response in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And to boost the body’s immune response, it is added to some vaccines—such as those for human papillomavirus (HPV) and tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap), as well as some combination vaccines that protect against polio. —Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 19 Nov. 2025

While aluminum is used in vaccines as an adjuvant, a vaccine component that boosts the immune response to the vaccine, it’s also used in food and beverages, according to the CHOP Vaccine Education Center. —Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025

By inhibiting calcineurin, voclosporin reduces the overactive immune response that drives lupus nephritis. —Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025

Mental health and immune response are affected by how animals are feeling—and, as the rash of stereotypies suggests, captive animals are not feeling well. —Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for immune response

• bons
• hans
• launce
• nonce
• sconce
• esperance
• nonchalance
• nonresponse
• renaissance
• naissance

Kids Definition

immune response

noun

: a bodily response to a foreign substance, cell, or tissue that involves the formation of antibodies and cells capable of reacting with it and rendering it harmless

called also immune reaction

Medical Definition

immune response

noun

: a bodily response to an antigen that occurs when lymphocytes identify the antigenic molecule as foreign and induce the formation of antibodies and lymphocytes capable of reacting with it and rendering it harmless

called also immune reaction