acquired immunity
1
4.2
- noun
- /əˈkwaɪərd ɪˈmjunɪti/
- Specialized
:
inmunidad adquirida
- Raina, Pollari, Teare, Goss, Barry, and Wilson (1999) found that people whose systems are located closer to their private wells experienced less gastrointestinal illness, suggesting that they might have acquired immunity.
Examples
-
While it is likely that the mortality rate declined in later years (e.g., as a result of acquired immunity), malaria remained a deadly threat to newcomers.
Academic text (2004) -
The lack of any reference to plague in the account of their reentry may be taken as a demonstration of their acquired immunity, as well as the reader's, to painful thoughts and images.
Academic text (2004) -
Many aspects of the natural history of HPV are poorly understood, including the role and duration of naturally acquired immunity after HPV infection.
Blog text (15) -
Texas cattle had an acquired immunity to the disease—bovine babesiosis—caused by these ticks.
Academic text (1994) -
After receiving the vaccine, she developed acquired immunity to the disease, protecting her from future infections.
-
The study showed that children who had chickenpox tend to have acquired immunity to the virus for life.
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Healthcare workers need to understand how acquired immunity can develop in patients following certain treatments.
Synonyms
101
3.5
Protection from disease because the body fights the germ
Antonyms
- Specialized
Natural protection from disease present at birth without prior exposure
How Immune
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward compositional combination: 'acquired' (obtained) qualifies 'immunity' (biological resistance), so the meaning 'immunity obtained after exposure or vaccination' is directly derivable from the parts. This is a common, cross-linguistic medical/biological pattern (e.g., Spanish 'inmunidad adquirida'), so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand it.
Etymology
Acquired immunity shows a simple idea: acquired means 'to get' and immunity means 'protection from a disease'. So acquired immunity is the protection you 'get' after you catch an illness, have a vaccine, or receive it from your mother, not protection you are born with.