inoculate

Definition

To protect or shield someone against the negative effects or potential political fallout of a controversial issue.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'inoculare,' meaning to graft a bud onto a tree. The term evolved into the medical sense of introducing a vaccine to protect against disease, and later into a metaphorical sense of protecting someone from an unpleasant idea or influence.

In the news

In the article, the term is used to describe how politicians are attempting to 'inoculate' themselves—or safeguard their own campaigns—against voter backlash regarding the construction of new data centers.

The Data Center Backlash Bursts Into the Midterms

The New York Times

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