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
ˈvak-sə-ˌnā-tər How to pronounce vaccinate (audio)
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.
Ideally, everyone should be vaccinated by the end of October when respiratory illness season begins, according to the CDC. — Eva Flowe october 27, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2026 Infants too young to be vaccinated and people who cannot receive immunizations for medical reasons can be particularly vulnerable when the virus spreads into communities with high vaccination rates. — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026 If nearly every kid around is vaccinated, the virus has nowhere to go and fizzles out. — Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026 In Pennsylvania, the health department said healthcare providers have seen more residents interested in getting vaccinated for measles. — Chandelis Duster, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026 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

Browse Nearby Words

vaccinal
vaccinate
vaccination
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vaccinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vaccinate. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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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
-ˌnāt-ər How to pronounce vaccinate (audio)
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
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