immunosuppression

noun

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.

Similar
immunocompromiseimmunodeficiency
Opposite
immunocompetenceimmunocompetency
OriginEnglish suppression ← Latin suppressiō ← Proto-Italic *pres- →
UncommonScrabble 25
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Meanings

nounimmunosuppression (usually uncountable, plural immunosuppressions)

plural immunosuppressions

  1. uncountableusuallyimmunologyThe 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.

    It has been reported that periparturient cows undergo a period of immunosuppression of various immunological parameters associated with a high susceptibility to uterine and mammary infections […]

    2015 August 29, “Different Blood Cell-Derived Transcriptome Signatures in Cows Exposed to Vaccination Pre- or Postpartum”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI

    Synonyms: immunocompromise, immunodeficiency

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe 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.

Similar
immunocompromiseimmunodeficiency
Opposite
immunocompetenceimmunocompetency
Also see
immunocompromiseimmunodeficiency

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mey-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*moy-nós
  3. Proto-Italic*moinos
  4. Latinmūnus
  5. Proto-Indo-European*né
  6. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  7. Proto-Italic*n̥-
  8. Latinin-
  9. Latinin- -is
  10. Latinimmūnis
  11. Middle Frenchimmun
  12. Englishimmune
  13. Englishimmuno-
  14. Proto-Indo-European*upó
  15. Proto-Italic*supo
  16. Latinsub
  17. Latinsub-
  18. Proto-Indo-European*per-?
  19. Proto-Indo-European*pres-
  20. Proto-Italic*pres-
  21. Latinpremō
  22. Latinsupprimō
  23. Latinsuppressiō
  24. Englishsuppression
  25. Englishimmunosuppression

From immuno- + suppression.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic نقص المناعة
  • نقص المناعةmedical suppression of the immune response
Chinese Mandarin 免疫抑制
  • 免疫抑制 (miǎnyì yìzhì)medical suppression of the immune response
Dutch immunosuppressie
  • immunosuppressiemedical suppression of the immune response
Finnish immunosuppressio
  • immunosuppressiomedical suppression of the immune response
German Immunsuppression
  • Immunsuppressionmedical suppression of the immune response
Welsh atal imiwnedd
  • atal imiwneddmedical suppression of the immune response
Cite this entry
APA

immunosuppression. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/immunosuppression

MLA

“immunosuppression.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/immunosuppression. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “immunosuppression,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/immunosuppression.

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