Vaccination Definition & Meaning

American

British

Scientific

Cultural

Usage

Other Word Forms

Etymology

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Examples

Synonyms vaccination American [vak-suh-ney-shuhn] / ˌvæk səˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

Medicine/Medical.

1. the act or practice of vaccinating; inoculation with a vaccine.

vaccination British / ˌvæksɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of vaccinating

2. the scar left following inoculation with a vaccine

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 vaccination Scientific / văk′sə-nā′shən /

1. Inoculation with a vaccine in order to protect against a particular disease.

2. A scar left on the skin by vaccinating.

vaccination Cultural

1. Inoculation with a vaccine to produce immunity to a particular infectious disease.

Usage

What’s the difference between vaccination, inoculation, and immunization? In the context of medicine, the words vaccination, inoculation, and immunization are often used in overlapping ways, and for good reason—they all involve the process of introducing a substance (especially a vaccine) into a person’s body with the goal of preventing them from getting a particular disease.Vaccination is the most specific of the three terms, because it always involves introducing a vaccine, which usually consists of a small amount of a killed, weakened, or otherwise modified version of a disease (such as a virus or bacterium). While inoculation has other meanings outside the context of medicine, in modern healthcare it’s typically used interchangeably with vaccination (though it’s used less commonly).Immunization is slightly different—it refers to the process of providing immunity from a specific disease. While the goal of vaccinating someone is often to immunize them, not all vaccines provide permanent immunity. Some vaccines provide what amounts to long-term immunity, while others only lead to a temporary protection, after which the body “forgets” how to make certain antibodies. In these cases, a booster shot or dose is often required, consisting of a follow-up vaccination to boost or renew the protection gained from the earlier vaccination.Both vaccination and inoculation can refer to a shot or dose, as opposed to the process of providing or receiving such doses, as in I’m scheduled to get a vaccination on Friday. The word immunization can be used in the same way to refer to such a vaccination when it’s one that provides immunity, as in Have you received all of your immunizations?Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between vaccinate, inoculate, and immunize.

Other Word Forms

• antivaccination adjective
• nonvaccination noun
• postvaccination adjective
• prevaccination noun
• provaccination adjective
• revaccination noun

Etymology

Origin of vaccination

First recorded in 1800–10; vaccine + -ation

Compare meaning

How does vaccination compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• inoculation vs. vaccination
• vaccination vs. immunization

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Although Kennedy has stated that parents should have their children vaccinated against measles, his endorsement has been lukewarm and often accompanied by advice about alternatives to vaccination or treatment.

From Los Angeles Times

The outbreak in Enfield comes as the government launches a wider campaign to improve childhood vaccination uptake for measles and other jabs for under fives.

From BBC

His legislation would also provide free vaccinations and spay or neuter services to the felines.

From Barron's

Flu arriving early has brought headaches for health boards managing their vaccination programme, which generally starts in September and runs through December.

From BBC

Measles cases have increased in the United States as vaccination rates have fallen in recent years, allowing the highly contagious virus to spread in communities with lower immunization coverage.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.