immune
B2Neutral to formal. Common in medical, scientific, legal, political, and general academic contexts.
Definition
Meaning
Protected against or not susceptible to a particular disease, infection, or harmful influence.
Exempt from or protected against a particular obligation, legal action, or undesirable situation. Can also describe being resistant to criticism, persuasion, or emotional impact.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used as a predicative adjective ('be immune to/from'). In medical contexts, it denotes a biological state; in figurative use, it often implies a desirable state of protection, but can sometimes suggest an unwelcome detachment (e.g., immune to reason).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage patterns. 'Immune from' is slightly more common in legal/formal British English, while 'immune to' is dominant in both varieties.
Connotations
Identical in both dialects.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties due to its scientific and general importance.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be immune to + NOUN/PHRASEbe immune from + NOUN/PHRASEmake/grant + SOMEONE/SOMETHING + immune (to/from)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “immune to reason/pleas/charm”
- “have immunity/be granted immunity”
- “a healthy immune system”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'The company's diverse portfolio made it largely immune to market fluctuations in any single sector.'
Academic
'The study aimed to understand the mechanisms that render certain individuals immune to the parasite.'
Everyday
'After having chickenpox as a child, you're usually immune for life.'
Technical
'The B-cells are central to the adaptive immune response, producing antibodies.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- 'The treaty immunises state officials from prosecution in foreign courts.'
- 'Vaccination immunises the population against the disease.'
American English
- 'The treaty immunizes state officials from prosecution in foreign courts.'
- 'Vaccination immunizes the population against the disease.'
adverb
British English
- 'The system is immunologically complex.'
American English
- 'The body responded immunologically to the threat.'
adjective
British English
- 'No one should be immune from the rule of law.'
- 'She seems utterly immune to his flattery.'
American English
- 'The CEO was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for testimony.'
- 'He's immune to most common cold viruses.'
Examples
By CEFR Level
- 'Babies get vaccines to help them become immune to diseases.'
- 'If you are immune, you will not get sick.'
- 'I had the flu last year, so I might be immune to it now.'
- 'The contract makes the company immune from certain financial risks.'
- 'The witness was offered immunity in return for his cooperation with the police.'
- 'His cynical attitude made him immune to their attempts at persuasion.'
- 'The judge ruled that the ambassador enjoyed diplomatic immunity and could not be arrested.'
- 'The novel's protagonist is not immune to the moral ambiguities of the situation, despite his initial convictions.'
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a MOON suit (IMMUNE) that protects an astronaut from the harsh environment of space. The suit makes you IMMUNE to the lack of air and extreme temperatures.
Conceptual Metaphor
PROTECTION IS A SHIELD/WALL; EXEMPTION IS A LEGAL DOCUMENT.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'иммунный' only in the biological sense. 'Immune' has a much broader figurative and legal usage (e.g., immune from prosecution = иметь неприкосновенность).
- Do not directly translate 'immune to criticism' as 'иммунный к критике'; 'невосприимчивый к критике' or 'неподверженный критике' is more natural.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'immune of' (incorrect preposition). Correct: immune TO/FROM.
- Using it as a pre-noun adjective without a complement (e.g., 'an immune person' is vague; 'a person immune to flattery' is clear).
- Confusing 'immune' (adjective) with 'immunity' (noun).
Practice
Quiz
In which of the following sentences is 'immune' used in a NON-MEDICAL, figurative sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Immune to' is more common and general, meaning 'not affected by' (e.g., immune to disease/criticism). 'Immune from' is often used in legal/formal contexts to mean 'exempt from' an obligation or penalty (e.g., immune from prosecution/taxation). The distinction is subtle and often blurred.
No. The noun form is 'immunity'. Saying 'an immune' is incorrect. The correct phrasing is 'an immune person' or, more commonly, 'someone who is immune'.
Not exactly. 'Immunised' describes the process of making someone immune (usually through vaccination). 'Immune' describes the resulting state of protection. One can be immunised but not yet fully immune if the protection takes time to develop.
It's an epidemiological concept where a high percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease (through vaccination or prior illness), thereby providing indirect protection to those who are not immune, as the disease cannot spread easily.