Words / B2

i-MYOON-uh-tee/ɪˈmjuːnəti/

Immunity is protection from disease, or from legal penalty: herd immunity; diplomatic immunity. Immune is the adjective (already in the dictionary). Herd immunity was misquoted. Uncountable in most uses. Handle the legal sense precisely — it is not “getting away with it” in slang.

Meaning

Protection from a disease, or from a legal penalty.

Examples

• “Herd immunity was misquoted in the public-health essay, the examiner noted.”
• “Diplomatic immunity featured in the case study, which is the legal sense.”

Good to know

herd / diplomatic immunity; immunity from prosecution. Adjective: immune. Public health and law. Usually uncountable. Not a joke about chores.

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