inoculate

[ ih-nok-yuh-leyt ]

verb (used with object)

, in·oc·u·lat·ed, in·oc·u·lat·ing.

1. to implant (a disease agent or antigen) in a person, animal, or plant to produce a disease for study or to stimulate disease resistance.
2. to affect or treat (a person, animal, or plant) in this manner.
3. to introduce (microorganisms) into surroundings suited to their growth, as a culture medium.
4. to imbue (a person), as with ideas.

   Synonyms: infuse, indoctrinate

5. Metallurgy. to treat (molten metal) chemically to strengthen the microstructure.

verb (used without object)

, in·oc·u·lat·ed, in·oc·u·lat·ing.

1. to perform inoculation.

inoculate

/ ɪˈnɒkjʊˌleɪt /

verb

1. to introduce (the causative agent of a disease) into the body of (a person or animal), in order to induce immunity
2. tr to introduce (microorganisms, esp bacteria) into (a culture medium)
3. tr to cause to be influenced or imbued, as with ideas or opinions

Derived Forms

• inˌocuˈlation, noun
• inˈoculative, adjective
• inˈocuˌlator, noun

Other Words From

• in·oc·u·la·tive [ih-, nok, -y, uh, -ley-tiv, -y, uh, -l, uh, -], adjective
• in·ocu·lator noun
• nonin·ocu·lative adjective
• rein·ocu·late verb reinoculated reinoculating
• self-in·ocu·lated adjective
• unin·ocu·lated adjective
• unin·ocu·lative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of inoculate¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin inoculātus, past participle of inoculāre “to graft by budding, implant,” equivalent to in- “in” + -oculā- (stem of -oculāre “to graft,” derivative of oculus “eye, bud”) + -tus past participle suffix; in- ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of inoculate¹

C15: from Latin inoculāre to implant, from in- ² + oculus eye, bud

Example Sentences

At least 70% of a population needs to be inoculated to create herd immunity, and governments could easily achieve that rate of coverage if they demanded vaccines for all.

From Quartz

For a vaccine to work, at least 90% of the population needs to be inoculated.

From Fortune

That, he says, would buy time to create a vaccine whose safety is fully understood before trying to inoculate billions of people.

From MIT Technology Review

Casanova gathered data on children in France who were inoculated between 1974 and 1994.

From Quanta Magazine

It inoculated the first volunteer with its candidate vaccine on March 16, just 63 days after the virus’s genetic makeup was revealed.

From Science News

The commander of the Continental Army realized that if he did not inoculate his army against smallpox, he might not have an army.

From The Daily Beast

But even before adults enter their senior years, children are not a surefire way to inoculate against loneliness.

From The Daily Beast

The ensuing hysteria persuaded some parents not to inoculate their kids for fear of triggering autism.

From The Daily Beast

A deeply-held belief in moral integrity does not inoculate one from mistakes, weakness and failure.

From The Daily Beast

First, the two sides understood that minimal advance assurances were needed to inoculate the meeting against a debacle.

From The Daily Beast

The surest method is to inoculate a small portion of the mixture with a minute crystal of the substance we expect to be formed.

From Project Gutenberg

As all these cultures are of virulent diseases, inoculate Inner N'gombi until intact tubes recovered.

From Project Gutenberg

Now fill two fermentation tubes with the bouillon, tint with litmus solution, and sterilise; inoculate with B. lactis aerogenes.

From Project Gutenberg

Inoculate the liquefied medium and label it, etc., precisely as if dealing with a tube of bouillon.

From Project Gutenberg

Inoculate the plates in series of three, as described for gelatine surface plates 3-8.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• inject
• vaccinate

Inoculate Vs. Vaccinate Vs. Immunize

What’s the difference between inoculate, vaccinate, and immunize?

In the context of medicine, inoculate, vaccinate, and immunize are often used in overlapping ways, and for good reason—they all involve introducing a substance (especially a vaccine) into a person’s body with the goal of preventing them from getting a particular disease.

Vaccinate 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 inoculate has other meanings outside the context of medicine, in modern healthcare it’s typically used interchangeably with vaccinate (though it’s used less commonly).

Immunize is slightly different—it means to provide 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.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between inoculate, vaccinate, and immunize.

Quiz yourself on inoculate vs. vaccinate vs. immunize!

True or False?

Inoculate, vaccinate, and immunize can be correctly used in some overlapping ways.