vaccinate

verb

vac·​ci·​nate ˈvak-sə-ˌnāt 

vaccinated; vaccinating

transitive verb

: to administer a vaccine to usually by injection

intransitive verb

: to perform or practice vaccination

vaccinator

ˈvak-sə-ˌnā-tər 

noun

Examples of vaccinate in a Sentence

We vaccinate all the animals that come to our shelter.

Recent Examples on the Web

Steps to take might include getting vaccinated, regularly exercising, and managing stress. —Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 9 Jan. 2025

By the numbers: Childhood flu vaccine coverage is down 1.3 percentage points in Texas, where 43.2% of kids are vaccinated so far — above the national average. —Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025

Who should get vaccinated against H5N1? Because the CDC says that the risk of bird flu is still low for the general public, there are no recommendations for anyone in the U.S. to get vaccinated against H5N1 at the moment. —Alice Park, TIME, 2 Jan. 2025

Kit is not fully vaccinated yet, so he cannot be taken to parks or on walks, the shelter said. —Paloma Chavez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

earlier, "to inoculate with fluid from a cowpox pustule," back-formation from vaccination; in later extended sense, in part borrowed from French vacciner, verbal derivative of vaccin vaccine

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

vaccinate

verb

vac·​ci·​nate ˈvak-sə-ˌnāt 

vaccinated; vaccinating

: to give a vaccine to usually by injection

vaccinator

-ˌnāt-ər 

noun

Medical Definition

vaccinate

1 of 2 verb

vac·​ci·​nate ˈvak-sə-ˌnāt 

vaccinated; vaccinating

transitive verb

1

: to inoculate (a person) with cowpox virus in order to produce immunity to smallpox

2

: to administer a vaccine to usually by injection

intransitive verb

: to perform or practice vaccination

vaccinate

2 of 2 noun

vac·​ci·​nate ˈvak-sə-ˌnāt  -nət 

: a vaccinated individual