pentavalent

adjective

pen·​ta·​va·​lent ˌpen-tə-ˈvā-lənt How to pronounce pentavalent (audio)
: having a valence of five

Examples of pentavalent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Medicines and equipment can easily go missing or expire–as 1.3 million doses of pentavalent vaccine (a kind of vaccine that protects against five diseases) did in Pakistan in 2015. Brian M. Till, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2017 Our foundation and other partners worked with two vaccine companies in India -- Biological E Limited and Serum Institute of India -- to develop a pentavalent vaccine that would be affordable everywhere. Bill Gates, CNN, 13 Oct. 2021 The pentavalent vaccine -- which protects against five diseases (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type B) -- is a great example. Bill Gates, CNN, 13 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pentavalent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pentavalent was in 1866

Dictionary Entries Near pentavalent

Cite this Entry

“Pentavalent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pentavalent. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

pentavalent

adjective
pen·​ta·​va·​lent ˌpent-ə-ˈvā-lənt How to pronounce pentavalent (audio)
: having a valence of five
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