immuno-silent
|im.mu.no.si.lent|
🇺🇸
/ɪˌmjuːnoʊˈsaɪlənt/
🇬🇧
/ɪˌmjuːnəʊˈsaɪlənt/
not triggering an immune response
Etymology
'immuno-silent' is a compound formed from the combining form 'immuno-' (from Neo-Latin 'immun-' < Latin 'immunis') meaning 'exempt, protected', and the English adjective 'silent' (from Latin 'silēns').
'immuno-' entered English as a scientific combining form in New/Modern Latin from Latin 'immunis', while 'silent' came into English via Old French and Middle English from Latin 'silēns'; the two elements were combined in modern biomedical English to form the compound 'immuno-silent'.
Individually, 'immuno-' originally conveyed 'exempt/protected' and 'silent' meant 'not making noise'; together in modern usage they have evolved to mean 'not provoking or detectable by the immune system'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not provoking, detected by, or eliciting an immune response; immunologically silent (used especially of pathogens, tumors, or biologic materials).
The tumor remained immuno-silent despite multiple rounds of therapy, showing no significant T-cell infiltration.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/01 18:10