verb
vaccinate
VAK-sih-nayt
Vaccinate (verb) means to give someone a vaccine so their body builds protection against a disease. Example: “The clinic vaccinated hundreds of children against measles last week.”
verb
1
To give someone a vaccine so their body builds protection against a disease.
"Within weeks, Britain had vaccinated more people than France, Germany, Italy and Spain combined, a stunning achievement."
— Nigel Harris, Comment: Vaccines and railways (2021)
"The county Health Department will provide free tetanus shots from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today in Turtle Creek for flood victims and cleanup workers who haven't been vaccinated against the disease in the past 10 years."
— , Tetanus shots for flood workers (1997)
"The clinic vaccinated hundreds of children against measles last week."
"Vets recommend vaccinating puppies before they mix with other dogs."
How to use vaccinate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo give a vaccine shot so the body learns to fight off a disease.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
vaccinate against [disease]
vaccinated children
get vaccinated
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- vaccinates
- Past tense
- vaccinated
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The clinic _____ hundreds of children against measles last week.
Etymology
From "vaccine" plus the verb-forming suffix "-ate" — ultimately traced back to Latin vacca, "cow," because the first vaccines used cowpox material.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for vaccinate
See all rhymes for vaccinate →Frequently asked questions
What does “vaccinate” mean?
The word “vaccinate” means to give someone a vaccine so their body builds protection against a disease. In plain terms, to give a vaccine shot so the body learns to fight off a disease.
How do you pronounce “vaccinate”?
“Vaccinate” is pronounced VAK-sih-nayt (/ˈvæksɪneɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “vaccinate” in a sentence?
Here is “vaccinate” used in a sentence: “The clinic vaccinated hundreds of children against measles last week.”
What part of speech is “vaccinate”?
“Vaccinate” is a verb.
Where does the word “vaccinate” come from?
The word “vaccinate” comes from Latin. From "vaccine" plus the verb-forming suffix "-ate" — ultimately traced back to Latin vacca, "cow," because the first vaccines used cowpox material.
