antigenic

American  

[an-tuh-jen-ik] / ˌæn təˈdʒɛn ɪk /

adjective

1. relating to antigens; being an antigen or having the properties of an antigen.

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Other Word Forms

• antigenically adverb
• antigenicity noun
• multi-antigenic adjective
• neoantigenic adjective
• non-antigenic adjective
• superantigenic adjective

Example Sentences

First, there’s antigenic drift, which happens in the genes of the virus over time as the virus reproduces.

From Salon • Jan. 8, 2026

While an antigenic drift occurs gradually, a shift is sudden and involves two strains merging genetic material, spontaneously creating a new strain entirely.

From Salon • Jan. 8, 2026

The phenomenon in which an initial antibody response to a virus dominates and delimits the response to later strains of the same virus is called "immunological imprinting," or "original antigenic sin."

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2024

In terms of figuring out a near-term vaccine formulation, however, the WHO advisory group noted XBB.1.16 has very small genetic and antigenic differences from XBB.1.5.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2023

Since there are so many of them, they can make collective guesses at almost anything antigenic on the surface of the earth, but they must do their work one notion at a time.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas