immunity
gb/ɪmjˈunɪti/ us/ɪmjˈunɪti/
B2
English
~ 7000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
state
1
the body’s protection against disease
The state when a person or animal cannot easily get a disease, often because of a vaccine or past infection.
Usage pattern:
immunity to [a disease or infection]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse 'immune' (adjective) and 'immunity' (noun): you say 'She is immune to the disease' but 'She has immunity to the disease.' Another mistake is using the wrong preposition: the most common patterns are 'immunity to a disease' or 'immunity against a disease,' not 'immunity of a disease.'
Synonyms
resistance (More general; can refer to opposition or strength against many things, not only disease.)
Antonyms
susceptibility (Emphasizes being easily affected or harmed by a disease or condition.)
Collocations
natural immunity
|acquired immunity
|herd immunity
|immunity to infection
|long-lasting immunity
|build immunity
Themes
health
|science
|medicine
|body
Examples
- Vaccination helps your body develop immunity to the virus.
- After recovering from the illness, she had temporary immunity to reinfection.
- Scientists are studying how long immunity lasts after the third dose.
- Children do not yet have strong immunity to this new strain of flu.
- Herd immunity is reached when enough people are protected that the disease stops spreading easily.
Learner examples
- The vaccine gives you immunity to the disease.
- His body has immunity because he had the virus last year.
- Older people often have weaker immunity.
- Doctors want to increase immunity in the population.
- Good sleep and food can help your immunity.
Noun
formal
C1
state
2
legal protection from prosecution
A legal protection that means the law cannot punish or charge a person in a particular situation.
Usage pattern:
immunity from [prosecution / legal action]
Common mistake:
Learners may mix the medical and legal meanings. In legal contexts, 'immunity' usually takes 'from', as in 'immunity from prosecution.' Saying 'immunity to prosecution' sounds less natural. Also, 'immunity' here is usually uncountable, not 'an immunity' except in set phrases like 'an immunity deal.'
Synonyms
exemption (Stresses being officially free from a duty or rule; not always specifically about criminal law.)
Antonyms
liability (Focuses on being legally responsible and able to be sued or punished.)
Collocations
immunity from prosecution
|diplomatic immunity
|sovereign immunity
|grant immunity
|qualified immunity
|legal immunity
Themes
law
|politics
Examples
- The witness was given immunity from prosecution in exchange for his testimony.
- Diplomatic immunity protects foreign diplomats from many local laws.
- The company argued that government agencies should have sovereign immunity from such lawsuits.
- Under the agreement, she received immunity for any crimes connected to the case.
- The court ruled that the official did not have qualified immunity in this situation.
Learner examples
- The police gave him immunity so he would tell the truth.
- Diplomats often have immunity in the country where they work.
- He wants legal immunity before he talks to the judge.
- The lawyer said the company has no immunity in this case.
- They refused to testify until the court offered immunity.
Noun
B2
state
3
freedom from negative effects
A state where something bad, like criticism or stress, does not affect you or cannot easily hurt you.
Usage pattern:
immunity to/from [criticism / harm / consequences]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is always medical, but here it is more general or figurative. It is usually followed by 'to' or 'from': 'immunity to criticism' or 'immunity from consequences,' not 'immunity of criticism.'
Synonyms
protection (More general; does not carry the specific idea of being unaffected, just being guarded.)
Antonyms
vulnerability (Highlights being easily hurt or affected by negative things.)
Collocations
immunity to criticism
|immunity to pain
|immunity from consequences
|a sense of immunity
|immunity to stress
|feel a kind of immunity
Themes
psychology
|society
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her years in the public eye have given her a kind of immunity to criticism.
- Wealth does not guarantee immunity from sadness or loneliness.
- He seemed to have complete immunity to embarrassment.
- Success can create a dangerous feeling of immunity from consequences.
- No one has total immunity to stress, no matter how calm they look.
Learner examples
- Famous people need some immunity to criticism.
- Money does not give you immunity from problems.
- He acts like he has immunity from all rules.
- You cannot have full immunity to stress at work.
- The job gave her no immunity from public blame.
Grammar
Dictionary form
immunity
IPA
GB/ɪmjˈunɪti/
US/ɪmjˈunɪti/
Syllables & stress
im - munity (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (munity)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: immunity
- Plural: immunities, immunity
Word family
Forms
immunities
noun
Core family
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
nonimmune
adjective
immunodeficiency
noun
Advanced or less common
immunocompromised
adjective
immunological
adjective
Expressions
blanket immunity
1/blˈæŋkɪt ɪmjˈunɪti/
fixed phrase
formal
total protection from all charges
Legal protection that covers everything in a case, not just one small part.
Examples
- They were unwilling to offer blanket immunity to everyone involved in the scandal.
- The agreement did not provide blanket immunity; it applied only to past tax offenses.
- Some lawmakers opposed giving blanket immunity to the company.
grant immunity
1/ɡɹˈænt ɪmjˈunɪti/
fixed phrase
formal
officially give legal protection
To officially decide that a person will not be punished or charged in court, usually so they will give information.
Examples
- The judge agreed to grant immunity to the key witness.
- Prosecutors often grant immunity to minor players to catch the main criminal.
- They refused to testify until the court decided whether to grant immunity.
herd immunity
1/hˈɚd ɪmjˈunɪti/
fixed phrase
technical
population-level protection from disease
A situation where so many people in a group are protected from a disease that the disease cannot spread easily.
Examples
- Health officials said the country has not yet reached herd immunity against the virus.
- Vaccination is the safest way to build herd immunity in the community.
- When herd immunity is high, even people who are not vaccinated gain some protection.
immunity from prosecution
1/ɪmjˈunɪti fɹˈʌm pɹˌɑsəkjˈuʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
legal protection from charges
A legal protection that means a person cannot be charged in court for a certain crime.
Examples
- In exchange for immunity from prosecution, he agreed to testify against his former boss.
- The witness demanded full immunity from prosecution before speaking to investigators.
- She signed a deal giving her limited immunity from prosecution on tax-related offenses.
qualified immunity
1/kwˈɑləfˌaɪd ɪmjˈunɪti/
fixed phrase
technical
conditional legal protection for officials
A legal rule that often protects government workers, like police officers, from being sued unless they clearly broke well-known rights.
Examples
- The court ruled that the officer was protected by qualified immunity.
- Debates over police reform often focus on changing or ending qualified immunity.
- Critics say qualified immunity makes it too difficult for victims to win civil rights cases.
sovereign immunity
1/sˈɑvɹən ɪmjˈunɪti/
fixed phrase
technical
government protection from lawsuits
A legal idea that a government or state cannot be taken to court unless it agrees.
Examples
- The lawsuit was dismissed on the grounds of sovereign immunity.
- Critics argue that sovereign immunity makes it too hard to hold governments responsible.
- The new law limits sovereign immunity in cases of serious human rights abuses.
diplomatic immunity
1/dˌɪpləmˈætɪk ɪmjˈunɪti/
fixed phrase
formal
legal protection for diplomats
a special rule that means foreign diplomats are usually not punished by the local laws of the country they are in
Examples
- Because of diplomatic immunity, the envoy could not be prosecuted.
- Because of diplomatic immunity, the ambassador could not be arrested by local police.
- The case renewed debate over the limits of diplomatic immunity.
- The case raised questions about whether diplomatic immunity should be limited in serious crimes.
- He abused his diplomatic immunity to avoid paying fines.
- He reminded reporters that the official enjoyed diplomatic immunity while serving abroad.