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| im·mu·ni·ty [ i mynətee ] (plural im·mu·ni·ties) |
noun |
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1. resistance to disease: a body's ability to resist a disease. Immunity may exist naturally or as a result of inoculation or previous infection. In active immunity, the body itself produces appropriate antibodies and lymphocytes, while in passive immunity, antibodies are introduced from another source, as from mother to fetus.
 immunity to smallpox
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2. freedom from responsibility or punishment: exemption or protection from something unpleasant, e.g. a duty or penalty, to which others are subject
immunity from deportation
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3. criminal law exemption from prosecution: an exemption from prosecution for somebody who has knowledge of possible criminal activity and may be personally culpable, offered in exchange for giving sufficient information to the police or to a grand jury
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