acquired immunity

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Explanation of "Acquired Immunity"

Definition:
"Acquired immunity" is a noun that refers to the ability of the body to fight off specific diseases after being exposed to them or through vaccination. Unlike "innate immunity," which you are born with, acquired immunity develops during your life.

Usage Instructions:

• When to Use: You can use "acquired immunity" when discussing health, biology, or medicine, especially in contexts related to how the body protects itself against diseases.
• Example Sentence: "After recovering from chickenpox, Sarah developed acquired immunity, so she won't get chickenpox again."

Advanced Usage:

In more advanced contexts, "acquired immunity" can be discussed in relation to immunology, public health policies, or vaccine development. For example: - "The study focused on how acquired immunity can help prevent future outbreaks of infectious diseases."

Word Variants:

• Acquired (adjective): Gained or developed over time.
• Immunity (noun): The state of being protected from a disease.

Different Meanings:

• While "acquired immunity" specifically refers to immunity developed over time, "immunity" alone can refer to general protection against diseases or even legal immunity in certain contexts (like protection from prosecution).

Synonyms:

• Adaptive immunity: This is another term for acquired immunity, emphasizing its ability to adapt and improve over time.
• Specific immunity: This highlights that it targets specific pathogens rather than providing general protection.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs associated with "acquired immunity," but you might encounter phrases like "build immunity" when discussing how the body develops protection against diseases.

Academic

Noun

1. immunity to a particular disease that is not innate but has been acquired during life; immunity can be acquired by the development of antibodies after an attack of an infectious disease or by a pregnant mother passing antibodies through the placenta to a fetus or by vaccination