Meaning & use

allergy

noun·Everyday

A condition in which the body reacts abnormally to a normally harmless substance.

See it in a sentence

His allergy to peanuts means he has to check every food label carefully.

Spring pollen triggers her seasonal allergy every year around the middle of April.

A note on using this word

An allergy is followed by 'to', as in 'an allergy to dust' or 'an allergy to cats'.

Words with a similar meaning

sensitivity

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

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