vaccinate

verb

vac·​ci·​nate ˈvak-sə-ˌnāt 

vaccinated; vaccinating

transitive verb

: to administer a vaccine to usually by injection

intransitive verb

: to perform or practice vaccination

vaccinator

ˈvak-sə-ˌnā-tər 

noun

Examples of vaccinate in a Sentence

We vaccinate all the animals that come to our shelter.

Recent Examples on the Web

The shelter noted in its Facebook post that dogs eligible for free adoption will be spayed/neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. —Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2026

There are multiple options to vaccinate your dog and cat against Lyme disease, the disease most commonly transmitted by ticks, as part of routine care. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 9 May 2026

Any students not vaccinated by then are not counted in that year’s data, and updates are not allowed after the window closes. —Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026

Whereas other countries got 85-90% vaccinated. —Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

earlier, "to inoculate with fluid from a cowpox pustule," back-formation from vaccination; in later extended sense, in part borrowed from French vacciner, verbal derivative of vaccin vaccine

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

vaccinate

verb

vac·​ci·​nate ˈvak-sə-ˌnāt 

vaccinated; vaccinating

: to give a vaccine to usually by injection

vaccinator

-ˌnāt-ər 

noun

Medical Definition

vaccinate

1 of 2 verb

vac·​ci·​nate ˈvak-sə-ˌnāt 

vaccinated; vaccinating

transitive verb

1

: to inoculate (a person) with cowpox virus in order to produce immunity to smallpox

2

: to administer a vaccine to usually by injection

intransitive verb

: to perform or practice vaccination

vaccinate

2 of 2 noun

vac·​ci·​nate ˈvak-sə-ˌnāt  -nət 

: a vaccinated individual