immunitas

Immunitas is a Latin noun meaning exemption or protection from a burden. It derives from immunis, meaning exempt or free from obligation, and is tied to the notion of being released from a duty or liability. In classical usage, immunitas signified a formal exemption granted by a higher authority from duties, taxes, or public service.

In Roman law and later canon law, immunitas referred to privileges granted to individuals or groups, such as exemption from taxation, military service, or secular jurisdiction. The concept also covered protections for ecclesiastical property or diplomats under special protection, and it influenced later discussions about inviolability and state or institutional immunities.

In biology and medicine, the standard term is immunity. Immunitas appears mainly in historical or Latin-language texts to denote the organism’s resistance to infection or a person’s immune status. In modern science, the word immunitas is rarely used outside translations or specialized discussions.

Today, immunitas is primarily encountered in discussions of legal history, Latin translation, or classical scholarship. It may also appear as a name in organizational titles or publications. In contemporary English, immunity is preferred for medical and legal contexts; immunitas remains a classical term with limited niche use.