vaccinate

verb

vac·​ci·​nate ˈvak-sə-ˌnāt How to pronounce vaccinate (audio)
vaccinated; vaccinating

transitive verb

: to administer a vaccine to usually by injection

intransitive verb

: to perform or practice vaccination
vaccinator noun

Examples of vaccinate in a Sentence

We vaccinate all the animals that come to our shelter.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With support from the American people, Gavi, the Global Vaccine Initiative, has already helped vaccinate over 1 billion children around the world, saving 17.3 million lives. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 4 Nov. 2024 More:Israel strikes Gaza and Lebanon as violence continues The two organizations are at the helm of a campaign to vaccinate children against polio after the paralyzing disease, long-eliminated in the U.S. and other parts of the world, reemerged amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024 The campaign, which started Monday, has a goal to vaccinate 45 million children under 5 after a surge in new cases threatened the country. Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for instance, has committed to vaccinate 500 million children in the next five years. Anne-Marie Slaughter, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for vaccinate 

Word History

Etymology

earlier, "to inoculate with fluid from a cowpox pustule," back-formation from vaccination; in later extended sense, in part borrowed from French vacciner, verbal derivative of vaccin vaccine

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of vaccinate was in 1882

Dictionary Entries Near vaccinate

Cite this Entry

“Vaccinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vaccinate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

vaccinate

verb
vac·​ci·​nate ˈvak-sə-ˌnāt How to pronounce vaccinate (audio)
vaccinated; vaccinating
: to give a vaccine to usually by injection
vaccinator noun

Medical Definition

vaccinate

1 of 2 verb
vac·​ci·​nate ˈvak-sə-ˌnāt How to pronounce vaccinate (audio)
vaccinated; vaccinating

transitive verb

1
: to inoculate (a person) with cowpox virus in order to produce immunity to smallpox
2
: to administer a vaccine to usually by injection

intransitive verb

: to perform or practice vaccination

vaccinate

2 of 2 noun
vac·​ci·​nate ˈvak-sə-ˌnāt How to pronounce vaccinate (audio) -nət How to pronounce vaccinate (audio)
: a vaccinated individual

More from Merriam-Webster on vaccinate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!