immunocompromised

American

[im-yuh-noh-kom-pruh-mahyzd] / ˌɪm yə noʊˈkɒm prə maɪzd /

immune-compromised,

adjective

having a compromised or impaired immune response; immunodeficient.

immunocompromised British

/ ˌɪmjʊnəʊˈkɒmprəmaɪzd /

adjective

having an impaired immune system and therefore incapable of an effective immune response, usually as a result of disease, such as AIDS, that damages the immune system

"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

Etymology

Origin of immunocompromised

First recorded in 1970–75; immuno- + compromised

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.

For people like your husband who may be immunocompromised and anxious, these delays can make everything appear worse.

From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026

Falling vaccination rates leave immunocompromised individuals especially exposed.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026

Standard vaccines are often less effective in older people or in the immunocompromised because they work through the immune system.

From Barron's • Nov. 14, 2025

Dr. Elizabeth E. Hudson, regional physician chief of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente Southern California, said people 65 and older, and those who are immunocompromised should get vaccinated.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2025

Wasn’t the mom with cancer supposed to be home, in isolation, immunocompromised?

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

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