inoculation

noun

in·​oc·​u·​la·​tion i-ˌnä-kyə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: the act or process or an instance of inoculating

especially : the introduction of a pathogen or antigen into a living organism to stimulate the production of antibodies

2

: inoculum

Examples of inoculation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

McCormick, a physician, also downplayed the public health threat of eliminating vaccine mandates, saying people can protect themselves, and their kids at schools, by opting to get the inoculations themselves. —Mike Lillis, The Hill, 10 Sep. 2025

Insurance companies could stop covering them, and changes to vaccine recommendations could make inoculations more difficult to access. —Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025

In the Winter of 1777, General George Washington ordered the inoculation of the Continental Army against smallpox. —Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025

The model itself is far from new; inoculations in some form of another, including the basic utilization of a dead virus to create antibodies that can attack a live one, date back centuries. —New York Daily News, Twin Cities, 19 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1714, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for inoculation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

inoculation

noun

in·​oc·​u·​la·​tion in-ˌäk-yə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: the act or an instance of inoculating

2

: material used in inoculating

Medical Definition

inoculation

noun

in·​oc·​u·​la·​tion in-ˌäk-yə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: the act or process or an instance of inoculating: as

a

: the introduction of a microorganism into a medium suitable for its growth

b(1)

: the introduction of a pathogen or antigen into a living organism to stimulate the production of antibodies

(2)

: the introduction of a vaccine or serum into a living organism to confer immunity

travelers in the tropics should have typhoid inoculations

2

: inoculum