definitions

vulnerable

[ vuhl-ner-uh-buh l ]
/ ˈvʌl nər ə bəl /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR vulnerable ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt, as by a weapon: a vulnerable part of the body.
open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc.: an argument vulnerable to refutation; He is vulnerable to bribery.
(of a place) open to assault; difficult to defend: a vulnerable bridge.
Bridge. having won one of the games of a rubber.

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RELATED WORDS

susceptibility, duty, onus, amenability, compulsion, culpability, indebtedness, blame, accountability, liability, burden, openness, obligation, debt, subjection, arrearage, owing

Nearby words

vulgarize, vulgate, vulgate bible, vulgus, vulned, vulnerable, vulnerable phase, vulnerary, vulpecula, vulpecular, vulpicide

Origin of vulnerable

1595–1605; < Late Latin vulnerābilis, equivalent to Latin vulnerā(re) to wound + -bilis -ble; see vulnerary

Related forms

vul·ner·a·bil·i·ty, vul·ner·a·ble·ness, nounvul·ner·a·bly, adverbun·vul·ner·a·ble, adjective

Can be confused

venerable vulnerable
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for vulnerabilities

British Dictionary definitions for vulnerabilities

vulnerable

/ (ˈvʌlnərəbəl) /

adjective

capable of being physically or emotionally wounded or hurt
open to temptation, persuasion, censure, etc
liable or exposed to disease, disaster, etc
military liable or exposed to attack
bridge (of a side who have won one game towards rubber) subject to increased bonuses or penalties

Derived Forms

vulnerability or vulnerableness, nounvulnerably, adverb

Word Origin for vulnerable

C17: from Late Latin vulnerābilis, from Latin vulnerāre to wound, from vulnus a wound
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012