autoimmunity

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UK/ˌɔː.təʊ.ɪˈmjuː.nɪ.ti/US/ˌɔːtoʊɪˈmjuːnɪti/cot caught merger/ˌɑtoʊɪˈmjuːnɪti/cot caught merger[ˌɑɾoʊɪˈmjunɪɾi]

noun

The condition where one's immune system attacks one's own tissues, i.e., an autoimmune disorder.

UncommonScrabble 19

Meanings

nounautoimmunity (countable and uncountable, plural autoimmunities)

plural autoimmunities

  1. countableuncountableimmunologyThe condition where one's immune system attacks one's own tissues, i.e., an autoimmune disorder.

    Iberdomide, a cereblon modulator promoting degradation of the transcription factors Ikaros and Aiolos, which affect leukocyte development and autoimmunity, is being evaluated for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

    2022 March 17, Joan T. Merrill, Victoria P. Werth, Richard Furie et al., “Phase 2 Trial of Iberdomide in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus”, in The New England Journal of Medicine, volume 386, number 11, →DOI, page 1034
    1 more example

    This can be demonstrated in NOD mice in which a point mutation in the autoimmune regulator (Aire) gene results in the reduced expression of P0 in the thymus and a concomitant increase of P0 specific T cells in the periphery. 107 Similarly, autoimmunity is shifted towards the peripheral nerve in another NOD model deficient for isoforms of ICAM-1. 108 Altered expression of ICAM-1 on thymic epithelial cells transforms selection of T cells from a diabetogenic into a neuritogenic repertoire. 108 Studies such as these highlight the critical role of regulatory mechanisms in maintaining immune homeostasis and the impact that changes to regulation can have on the development of disease.

    2015 February 12, Emily K Mathey et al., “Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy: from pathology to phenotype”, in Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, volume 86, →DOI

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew
  2. Proto-Indo-European*tó-
  3. Proto-Hellenic*autós
  4. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew
  5. Ancient Greekαὖ (aû)
  6. Ancient Greekτόν (tón)
  7. Ancient Greekαὐτός (autós)
  8. Ancient Greekαὐτο- (auto-)
  9. Englishauto-
  10. Englishimmunity
  11. Englishautoimmunity

From auto- + immunity.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan autoimmunitat
  • autoimmunitatcondition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues
Chinese Mandarin 自身免疫疾病
  • 自身免疫疾病 (zìshēn miǎnyì jíbìng)condition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues
Czech autoimunita
  • autoimunitacondition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues
Dutch auto-immuniteit
  • auto-immuniteitcondition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues
Finnish autoimmuniteetti
  • autoimmuniteetticondition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues
German Autoimmunität
  • Autoimmunitätcondition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues
Hungarian autoimmunitás
  • autoimmunitáscondition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues
Italian autoimmunità
  • autoimmunitàcondition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues
Japanese 自己免疫
  • 自己免疫 (jikomen'eki)condition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues
Korean 자가 면역
  • 자가 면역 (jaga myeonyeok)condition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues
Portuguese autoimunidade
  • autoimunidadecondition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues
Romanian autoimunitate
  • autoimunitatecondition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues
Russian аутоиммунность
  • аутоиммунность (autoimmunnostʹ)condition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues
Slovak autoimunita
  • autoimunitacondition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues
Spanish autoinmunidad
  • autoinmunidadcondition where the immune system attacks the body's own tissues
Cite this entry
APA

autoimmunity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autoimmunity

MLA

“autoimmunity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autoimmunity. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “autoimmunity,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autoimmunity.

Source: autoimmunity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.