# vaccinate

/ˈvæksəneɪt/ (US) · /vˈæksɪnˌeɪt/ (UK) · CEFR B1 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/vaccinate
Updated: 2026-05-30

## Definition

to give a person or animal a small amount of a disease to help their body fight it. This makes them immune to the illness in the future.

For teachers: to administer a vaccine to a person or animal to confer immunity against a specific disease. Transitive — requires a direct object.

## Examples

- The doctor will vaccinate the children against the flu.
- Health officials are working to ensure every adult in the city is vaccinated before the winter season begins.
- While the initial trial showed promising results, the researchers had to determine if the vaccine would effectively vaccinate a diverse population across different geographic regions.

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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.