WordGarden.io
Back to search

immunologically

C2
adverb

Pronunciation

UK

  • /ɪmjˌuːnəlˈɒdʒɪklɪ/

US

  • /ɪmjˌuːnəlˈɑːdʒɪkli/

Description

If your body fights off a cold without you even feeling sick, it is working *immunologically. The word describes anything that happens in relation to the immune system, the part of the body that helps protect you from disease. It is not just about vaccines, though vaccines are part of it. These processes happen when your body responds to a virus, heals after damage, or reacts to something like pollen. Scientists use "immunologically" when talking about how the immune system works, what sets it off, and how it can be guided to help fight disease. For example, researchers might study immunologically* different groups of cells to understand why some people get sicker than others.

Examples

  1. 1

    Transplant compatibility

    The donor and the patient were not immunologically compatible, so the transplant could not go ahead.

    • Phrase

      immunologically compatible

      unlikely to trigger a harmful immune reaction

  2. 2

    Newborn immunity

    Newborn babies are still immunologically immature, so doctors watch infections closely.

  3. 3

    Virus exposure

    After years without exposure, the population was largely immunologically naive to the virus.

    • Pattern

      immunologically naive to + disease

      not having built up immune protection against it

Forms and spellings

1 form open this card.

Main spelling

  • immunologicallyadverb