immunocompromised

adjective

im·​mu·​no·​com·​pro·​mised ˌi-myə-nō-ˈkäm-prə-ˌmīzd How to pronounce immunocompromised (audio)
i-ˌmyü-nō-
variants or less commonly immuno-compromised or immune-compromised
: having the immune system impaired or weakened (as by drugs or illness)
And fear of vaccines doesn't just potentially harm the children whose parents forgo vaccination but also other kids, as well as immunocompromised adults, by threatening the herd immunity that we rely on to protect the larger population.James Poniewozik
Raw shellfish eaters are vulnerable to hepatitis and mild-to-severe gastroenteritis. At greater risk, however, are those who are immunocompromised, pregnant or suffer from liver disease, chronic alcohol abuse, cancer, diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.Eating Well
Only recently, the parasite has also been shown to cause illness in human beings, but at first it was believed to affect only immune-compromised patients.Melva Weber

Examples of immunocompromised in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And while experts expect this summer wave to stay mild, COVID still poses a risk, especially for the immunocompromised and other medically vulnerable residents. Cuneyt Dil, Axios, 9 July 2024 At a meeting in December, drugmakers asked US and European regulators to consider adopting new standards for approving new antibody drugs, especially those meant for immunocompromised people. Emily Mullin, WIRED, 8 Feb. 2023 The feeling that is threaded throughout the complex experiences of Osato and other immunocompromised people in recent years is that of loneliness. Laura Newberrystaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2023 Evusheld is a monoclonal antibody therapy used to prevent Covid-19 in immunocompromised people, who are less likely to generate an immune response from Covid-19 vaccination. Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN, 26 Jan. 2023 See all Example Sentences for immunocompromised 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'immunocompromised.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

immuno- + compromised

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of immunocompromised was in 1974

Dictionary Entries Near immunocompromised

Cite this Entry

“Immunocompromised.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immunocompromised. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

immunocompromised

adjective
im·​mu·​no·​com·​pro·​mised
ˌim-yə-nō-ˈkäm-prə-ˌmīzd,
im-ˌyü-nō-
: having a weakened immune system

Medical Definition

immunocompromised

adjective
im·​mu·​no·​com·​pro·​mised -ˈkäm-prə-ˌmīzd How to pronounce immunocompromised (audio)
variants also immuno-compromised or immune-compromised
: having the immune system impaired or weakened (as by drugs or illness)
immunocompromised patients
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!