vulnerable

[vuhl-ner-uh-buhl]

adjective

1. capable of or susceptible to being attacked, damaged, or hurt.

   a vulnerable part of the body;

   vulnerable to predators;

   a company vulnerable to a hostile takeover.

2. open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc..

   That is an argument vulnerable to refutation.

   He is vulnerable to bribery.

3. (of a place) open to assault; difficult to defend.

   a vulnerable bridge.

4. willing to show emotion or to allow one’s weaknesses to be seen or known.

   Men and boys are rarely seen as vulnerable.

5. (of a person or population) needing supportive or protective social services and community resources because of advanced age, poverty, disability, etc.

6. Bridge.,  having won one of the games of a rubber.

7. Biology, Ecology.,  (of a threatened plant or animal species) likely to be classified endangered in the near future unless circumstances that threaten reproduction and survival improve, as categorized by the IUCN Red List: VU

   At least 15 percent of our vulnerable reptiles are turtles.

vulnerable

/ ˈvʌlnərəbəl /

adjective

1. capable of being physically or emotionally wounded or hurt

2. open to temptation, persuasion, censure, etc

3. liable or exposed to disease, disaster, etc

4. military liable or exposed to attack

5. bridge (of a side who have won one game towards rubber) subject to increased bonuses or penalties

Other Word Forms

• vulnerability noun
• vulnerableness noun
• vulnerably adverb
• unvulnerable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vulnerable¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from Late Latin vulnerābilis “injurious, wounding,” equivalent to Latin vulnerā(re) “to wound” + -bilis; -ble

Word History and Origins

Origin of vulnerable¹

C17: from Late Latin vulnerābilis, from Latin vulnerāre to wound, from vulnus a wound

Example Sentences

The semiconductor supply chain is vulnerable to actions like China’s because large chip plants require big capital investments from an ecosystem of companies providing specialized equipment, intricate technical processes and final packaging.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

“Defendants know children and adolescents are in a developmental stage that leaves them particularly vulnerable to the addictive effects of these features. Defendants target them anyway, in pursuit of additional profit.”

Read more on Barron's

Still, my favorite performance has to be Luna’s, whose Valentin is at once strong and vulnerable, like a mutt attempting to fend off a bear.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Seychelles has the highest wealth per capita in Africa -- around $18,000 according to the World Bank -- but is vulnerable to climate change and faces widespread drug addiction.

Read more on Barron's

And some companies that are more vulnerable to policy changes, either by the narrower nature of their business, or because they had more fragile financial underpinnings, are feeling it.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• accessible 
• defenseless 
• exposed 
• liable 
• ready 
• sensitive 
• susceptible 
• unsafe 
• weak