Word
antigen
Phoneticsanti·gen
US/ˈæntədʒən/
UK/ˈæntɪdʒˌɛn/
Definition
n. a substance that makes your immune system start fighting, often by creating antibodies. It is usually something from outside your body, like a virus or bacteria.
n. any substance that induces an immune response in the body, specifically the production of antibodies. Typically a protein or polysaccharide on the surface of a pathogen.
Examples
“The vaccine introduces a harmless antigen to your body.”
“Doctors use a rapid test to detect the presence of a specific viral antigen in the patient's blood sample.”
“The immune system distinguishes between self and non-self by recognizing unique molecular patterns on the surface of the invading antigen, triggering a targeted defensive response.”
Examples
simple
“The vaccine introduces a harmless antigen to your body.”
contextual
“Doctors use a rapid test to detect the presence of a specific viral antigen in the patient's blood sample.”
complex
“The immune system distinguishes between self and non-self by recognizing unique molecular patterns on the surface of the invading antigen, triggering a targeted defensive response.”
Usage
Commonly used in medical and biological contexts; often paired with verbs like 'detect', 'recognize', or 'bind'.
Real-World Examples
“Researchers used artificial intelligence and machine learning to design what they call a "super-antigen." The antigen is the component of a vaccine that trains the immune system to recognize and fight infection.” “Antigens are the critical components of vaccines as this is what the immune system learns to attack.” “The whole-cell pertussis vaccine used in the 1980s alone contained roughly 3,000 antigens .” Etymology
From French antigène, from anti- + gène.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/antigen