What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
monovalent
Example
The monovalent vaccine was effective against the specific strain of the virus. [monovalent: adjective]
Example
The monovalent ion has a charge of +1. [monovalent: noun]
univalent
Example
The univalent antibody was specific to a single antigenic determinant. [univalent: adjective]
Example
The univalent cation has a charge of +1. [univalent: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Monovalent is more commonly used than univalent in everyday language, especially in chemistry and vaccine contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between monovalent and univalent?
Both monovalent and univalent are technical terms used in scientific fields, so they are generally considered formal words.
