immunosuppressant
|im-mu-no-sup-press-ant|
🇺🇸
/ˌɪmjənoʊsəˈprɛsənt/
🇬🇧
/ˌɪmjʊnəʊsəˈprɛsənt/
drug that weakens the immune system
Etymology
'immunosuppressant' originates from modern English medical formation combining 'immune' and 'suppressant'. 'immune' ultimately comes from Latin 'immunis' meaning 'exempt', and 'suppressant' comes via Late Latin/French from Latin roots related to 'suppress-' (from 'suppressus', past participle of 'suffringere'/'supprimere' elements meaning 'to press down').
'immune' passed from Latin 'immunis' into Medieval/Modern English via French and scientific Latin; 'suppressant' developed from Latin 'suppressus' through Medieval Latin and French ('suppressant') and was adopted into English; the combined form 'immunosuppressant' arose in 20th-century medical usage to name drugs that suppress the immune system.
Initially 'immune' meant 'exempt' and 'suppressant' meant 'something that presses down or restrains'; over time the compound came to mean specifically 'an agent that suppresses the immune system'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a drug or agent that reduces or inhibits the activity of the immune system, often used to prevent organ transplant rejection or to treat autoimmune diseases.
The patient was prescribed an immunosuppressant to prevent organ rejection after the transplant.
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Adjective 1
causing, relating to, or used for suppression of the immune system (often used attributively, as in immunosuppressant therapy).
Immunosuppressant therapy can increase the risk of infections.
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Last updated: 2025/12/17 15:35