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
Kennedy has expressed skepticism over inoculation and is known to traffic in medical misinformation.
—
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2025
Academic research published recently has shown that, when individuals develop skepticism toward a single vaccine, those doubts often lead to uncertainty about other inoculations.
—Chris Bing and Joel Shectman, USA TODAY, 14 June 2024
Kennedy received pushback from several senators for his past statements questioning vaccine safety, including childhood inoculations for polio and measles.
—Brittany Gibson, Axios, 4 Feb. 2025
Measles is a very contagious respiratory disease that was declared to be eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 due to high rates of inoculation with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, known as the MMR shot.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoculation
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Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2025
Academic research published recently has shown that, when individuals develop skepticism toward a single vaccine, those doubts often lead to uncertainty about other inoculations.
—Chris Bing and Joel Shectman, USA TODAY, 14 June 2024
Kennedy received pushback from several senators for his past statements questioning vaccine safety, including childhood inoculations for polio and measles.
—Brittany Gibson, Axios, 4 Feb. 2025
Measles is a very contagious respiratory disease that was declared to be eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 due to high rates of inoculation with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, known as the MMR shot.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoculation
Cite this Entry
“Inoculation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inoculation. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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