Meaning & use
Inactivate
Last updated
To make something inactive or no longer functional, especially a virus, enzyme, or biological process.
See it in a sentence
Heat is used to inactivate the virus before it is used in the vaccine.
The mutation inactivates a key gene involved in cell repair.
A note on using this word
Common in biology and medicine, where 'inactivated' vaccines use pathogens that have been killed or neutralized but can still trigger immunity.
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
activate
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