vaccine
5 synonyms for vaccine, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A substance given to the body to trigger immunity against a disease, usually made from a weakened or inactive form of the germ that causes it.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use vaccine
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
get a vaccine
vaccine against
vaccine dose
Etymology
From Latin vaccinus, "of a cow," from vacca ("cow"). Edward Jenner coined the related Latin term variolae vaccinae ("cowpox") in the late 1700s, after using cowpox material to protect people against smallpox.
Full origin of vaccine →Frequently asked questions
What does “vaccine” mean?
The word “vaccine” means a substance given to the body to trigger immunity against a disease, usually made from a weakened or inactive form of the germ that causes it. In plain terms, something (usually a shot) that trains the body to fight off a specific disease.
How do you pronounce “vaccine”?
“Vaccine” is pronounced vak-SEEN (/vækˈsin/ in IPA).
How do you use “vaccine” in a sentence?
Here is “vaccine” used in a sentence: “Scientists developed a new vaccine in record time.”
What part of speech is “vaccine”?
“Vaccine” is a noun.
Where does the word “vaccine” come from?
The word “vaccine” dates back to around 1700 and comes from Latin. From Latin vaccinus, "of a cow," from vacca ("cow"). Edward Jenner coined the related Latin term variolae vaccinae ("cowpox") in the late 1700s, after using cowpox material to protect people against smallpox.
Is “vaccine” a common word?
“Vaccine” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “vaccine” have?
“Vaccine” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a substance given to the body to trigger immunity against a disease, usually made from a weakened or inactive form of the germ that causes it.
What is the difference between vaccine and vaccination?
A vaccine is the substance itself — typically made from a weakened or inactive form of a germ — while vaccination is the act of giving that substance to a person or animal. So you receive a vaccine during a vaccination.
What is the difference between a vaccine and an antidote?
A vaccine is given before illness to trigger the body's immunity against a disease, whereas an antidote is given after exposure to counteract a poison or toxin. One prevents; the other treats.
Is it "vaccine for" or "vaccine against"?
Both are standard: you can say a vaccine against measles or a vaccine for measles. "Against" slightly emphasises protection from the disease and is common in formal or medical writing, while "for" is frequent in everyday speech.
What is a vaccine in computing?
In computing, a vaccine is a program that detects and removes viruses or other malware — what most people now call antivirus software. The usage borrows the medical image of protecting a system against infection.
