bivalent

1 of 2

adjective

bi·​va·​lent (ˌ)bī-ˈvā-lənt  ˈbī-və- 

1

chemistry : having a valence of two : divalent

bivalent calcium

2

genetics : associated in pairs in synapsis

bivalent chromosomes

3

immunology : having two combining sites

a bivalent antibody capable of binding to two molecules of an antigen

4

medical : conferring immunity to two diseases or two serotypes

a bivalent vaccine

bivalent

2 of 2

noun

: a pair of synaptic chromosomes

Examples of bivalent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Just around 17 percent of the US population has received bivalent vaccines, which became widely available in the fall of 2022 and are meant to offer better protection against Omicron variants. —Amanda Hoover, WIRED, 3 Aug. 2023

Others say public health systems could combine bivalent OPV and nOPV2, or that GPEI could develop a safer trivalent OPV vaccine in the style of nOPV2. —Saima S. Iqbal, Scientific American, 26 Sep. 2024

Noun

For the update, the advisers examined data suggesting that a monovalent vaccine, rather than a bivalent, would have a better shot at protecting against the latest omicron subvariants and reduce the chances of skewing immune responses back to the ancestral strain, which no longer circulates. —Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 15 June 2023

Those over the age of 65 are now eligible for a second bivalent shot four months after their first. —Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1869, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1934, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

bivalent

1 of 2 adjective

bi·​va·​lent (ˈ)bī-ˈvā-lənt 

1

a

: divalent

bivalent calcium

b

: having two combining sites

a bivalent antibody capable of binding to two molecules of an antigen

2

: associated in pairs in synapsis

bivalent chromosomes

3

: conferring immunity to two diseases or two serotypes

a bivalent vaccine protecting against hepatitis A and hepatitis B

bivalent

2 of 2 noun

: a pair of synaptic chromosomes