immunity
Meaning of immunity: Immunity is the body's capacity to resist a specific infectious agent, arising from prior exposure, vaccination, or the transfer of protective antibodies.
Definition of immunity
Immunity is the condition of being protected against a particular infectious agent, meaning the body is able to prevent that agent from causing disease or can control it quickly if infection occurs. Immunity is generally specific, protecting against one organism or a closely related group rather than infection in general.
Immunity can develop after natural infection, when the immune system encounters an organism and retains a lasting memory of it, or after vaccination, which trains the immune system to recognize an organism or its components without causing the actual disease. This type is called active immunity, since the person's own immune system produces the protection.
Immunity can also be acquired passively, through the transfer of ready made antibodies from another person or, in early life, from a parent, providing protection that begins immediately but does not last as long as immunity the body produces on its own.
Used in a sentence
The vaccination series was completed to establish immunity against the targeted infection.
Good to know
Active immunity, produced by a person's own immune system after infection or vaccination, generally lasts longer than passive immunity, which is transferred ready made from another source.
Word origin
Where “immunity” comes from
Formed from Latin immunis, meaning exempt or free from burden, from in-, meaning not, and munus, meaning service or duty.