Standard Lemma guide

immunosuppression

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

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Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The suppression of the immune response, especially its active medical suppression by human agency (via immunosuppressant drugs) to treat autoimmune diseases or to prevent allograft rejection after transplant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: immunology, medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

lowering the body's normal immune response to invasion by foreign substances; can be deliberate (as in lowering the immune response to prevent rejection of a transplanted organ) or incidental (as a side effect of radiotherapy or chemotherapy for cancer)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: immunological disorder

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mey- Proto-Indo-European *moy-nósder. Proto-Italic *moinos Latin mūnus Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-ih2der.? Proto-Italic *-is Latin -is Latin in- -is Latin immūnisder. Middle French immunbor. Middle English English immune Ancient Greek -ο- (-o-)der. Latin -o-bor. English -o- English immuno- Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Italic *supo Latin sub Latin sub- Proto-Indo-European *per-? Proto-Indo-European *pres-der. Proto-Italic *pres- Latin premō Latin supprimō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin suppressiōbor. English suppression English immunosuppression From immuno- + suppression.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: نقص المناعة — medical suppression of the immune response
  • Chinese Mandarin: 免疫抑制 (miǎnyì yìzhì) — medical suppression of the immune response
  • Dutch: immunosuppressie — medical suppression of the immune response
  • Finnish: immunosuppressio — medical suppression of the immune response
  • German: Immunsuppression — medical suppression of the immune response
  • Welsh: atal imiwnedd — medical suppression of the immune response