What does intradermally mean?
Intradermally is an adverb meaning within the dermis, the inner layer of the skin beneath the surface epidermis. Its most familiar use is in medicine, describing the delivery of a vaccine, drug, or diagnostic substance into this layer with a fine needle. Unlike subcutaneous administration, which places material in fatty tissue beneath the skin, intradermal administration introduces it directly into the dermis. The technique is used in procedures such as allergy testing, tuberculosis testing, and some vaccine regimens. In general writing, “intradermally” is a precise technical term rather than a conversational expression, so it appears mainly in clinical instructions, medical research, and pharmaceutical descriptions. Understanding it is useful when reading health guidance or comparing routes of vaccine and medication delivery.
adverbWithin or into the dermis, the layer of skin beneath the epidermis. It is especially used to describe the administration of a substance by intradermal injection.
- In or into the dermis, especially in relation to medical administration.
"The vaccine was administered intradermally, just beneath the skin."
"The antigen was delivered intradermally using a fine needle."
"For the test, the solution was placed intradermally and the resulting reaction was observed."
Intradermally is the technical term for delivering something into the skin itself, where it can produce a highly localized immune response.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of intradermally
The word is formed from the prefix intra- meaning “within” and the combining form dermal, from Greek dermis, meaning “skin.” The related English words dermal, dermis, and dermatology developed from the same Greek root. The technical use of intradermal to mean “within the skin” became established in modern medical and pharmacological terminology.
Related word forms
How intradermally is actually used
This is a technical medical term. It is more commonly encountered in clinical instructions and research literature than in everyday speech, and it should not be used when a broader expression such as “under the skin” is sufficient.
Easily confused with intradermally
Intradermally means into the dermis itself, whereas subcutaneously means into the tissue beneath the skin.
Intradermally describes administration into the skin, while intramuscularly describes administration into a muscle.