# immunity

/ˌɪmˈjunəti/ (US) · /ɪmjˈuːnɪti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/immunity
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. medical resistance

noun · CEFR B2

the ability of your body to protect itself from a specific disease or infection.

For teachers: the physiological state of being resistant to a specific pathogen or toxin, typically through the presence of antibodies or white blood cells.

- The vaccine helps your body build immunity against the flu.
- Natural immunity acquired after an initial infection often provides more robust long-term protection than certain first-generation synthetic vaccines.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'to' or 'against'.

### 2. legal protection

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

special protection that means you cannot be punished or sued by the law.

For teachers: an exemption from a legal obligation, penalty, or the jurisdiction of a court.

- The witness was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for her testimony.
- Diplomatic immunity prevents foreign representatives from being prosecuted under the host country's laws, though this privilege can be waived by their home state.

Usage: Commonly appears in the phrase 'sovereign immunity' or 'diplomatic immunity'.

### 3. general resistance

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

the state of not being affected by something, like criticism or a bad habit.

For teachers: the quality of being unaffected or influenced by something external, such as social pressure or criticism.

- After years in politics, he had developed an immunity to public criticism.
- The CEO seemed to possess a strange immunity to the anxieties that plagued his subordinates during the merger.

## Examples

- Vaccines help your body build immunity against dangerous viruses.
- The diplomat claimed diplomatic immunity to avoid paying the parking fines he received while working abroad.
- While natural immunity provides robust protection following an initial infection, the duration of such resistance varies significantly across different viral strains and individual immune responses.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.