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inoculate

verb
in·​oc·​u·​late | \ i-ˈnĂ€-kyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce inoculate (audio) \
inoculated; inoculating

Definition of inoculate

transitive verb

1a : to introduce a microorganism into inoculate mice with anthrax beans inoculated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria
b : to introduce (something, such as a microorganism) into a suitable situation for growth
c : to introduce immunologically active material (such as an antibody or antigen) into especially in order to treat or prevent a disease inoculate children against diphtheria
2 : to introduce something into the mind of
3 : to protect as if by inoculation
Other Words from inoculate Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about inoculate

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Other Words from inoculate

inoculative \ i-​ˈnĂ€-​kyə-​ˌlā-​tiv How to pronounce inoculative (audio) \ adjective
inoculator \ i-​ˈnĂ€-​kyə-​ˌlā-​tər How to pronounce inoculator (audio) \ noun

Synonyms for inoculate

Synonyms

endue (or indue), imbue, inculcate, infuse, ingrain (also engrain), invest, steep, suffuse

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Choose the Right Synonym for inoculate

infuse, suffuse, imbue, ingrain, inoculate, leaven mean to introduce one thing into another so as to affect it throughout. infuse implies a pouring in of something that gives new life or significance. new members infused enthusiasm into the club suffuse implies a spreading through of something that gives an unusual color or quality. a room suffused with light imbue implies the introduction of a quality that fills and permeates the whole being. imbue students with intellectual curiosity ingrain, used only in the passive or past participle, suggests the deep implanting of a quality or trait. clung to ingrained habits inoculate implies an imbuing or implanting with a germinal idea and often suggests stealth or subtlety. an electorate inoculated with dangerous ideas leaven implies introducing something that enlivens, tempers, or markedly alters the total quality. a serious play leavened with comic moments

Did You Know?

If you think you see a connection between "inoculate" and "ocular" ("of or relating to the eye"), you are not mistaken - both words look back to "oculus," the Latin word for "eye." But what does the eye have to do with inoculation? Our answer lies in the original use in English of "inoculate" in Middle English: "to insert a bud in a plant." Latin oculus was sometimes applied to things that were seen to resemble eyes, and one such thing was the bud of a plant. "Inoculate" was later applied to other forms of engrafting or implanting, including the introduction of vaccines as a preventative against disease.

Examples of inoculate in a Sentence

inoculated them with the idea that the individual can always make a difference in this world

Recent Examples on the Web

 In the shared torment of that winter’s cold and mud and dark, a new breed had been inoculated, to large extent, against an ancient malady. — Richard Brady, National Review, "Valley of the Shadow," 31 Aug. 2019 The government has organised seminars for Turkish and refugee children, to inoculate them against IS propaganda. — The Economist, "How Turkey deals with returning Islamic State fighters," 15 Aug. 2019 Still, Morrison’s speech repudiated the idea that language uttered by those with good or clear intent would inoculate minorities against the rants of despots or demagogues, ignorant, thoughtless people who espouse racist ideas. — Syreeta Mcfadden, The Atlantic, "What Toni Morrison Knew About Trump," 13 Aug. 2019 Both methods have been shown to give lab mice more robust microbiomes, but neither method inoculates the rodents from birth. — Nicolas Rivero, Quartz, "Dirtier lab mice could make drug trials more reliable," 1 Aug. 2019 Most corporations inoculate themselves from any forward-looking statements under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. — Eriq Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, "Netflix Hit With Shareholder Lawsuit After Missing Growth Projections," 22 July 2019 To some extent, this has inoculated the economy against the effects of Trump’s protectionism. — John Cassidy, The New Yorker, "Three Key Questions About Trump and the Economy," 9 July 2019 Perhaps a subsequent generation, inoculated against the wildfire of social media, will see fit to resist this trend. — Marilynne Robinson, Harper's magazine, "Letters," 10 Apr. 2019 Boredom inoculates us against the tiresome ideologue, the person who wants to fix everything with One Big Idea—the fellow trying to privatize Social Security, the... — F.h. Buckley, WSJ, "Politics Has Become Boring Again—and That’s a Relief," 19 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inoculate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of inoculate

1721, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for inoculate

Middle English, to insert a bud in a plant, from Latin inoculatus, past participle of inoculare, from in- + oculus eye, bud — more at eye

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More Definitions for inoculate

inoculate

verb
How to pronounce inoculate (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of inoculate

medical : to give (a person or animal) a weakened form of a disease in order to prevent infection by the disease

See the full definition for inoculate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

inoculate

verb
in·​oc·​u·​late | \ i-ˈnĂ€-kyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce inoculate (audio) \
inoculated; inoculating

Kids Definition of inoculate

: to inject a material (as a vaccine) into to protect against or treat a disease

inoculate

verb
in·​oc·​u·​late | \ in-ˈÀk-yə-ˌlāt How to pronounce inoculate (audio) \

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