vulnerability

American  

[vuhl-ner-uh-bil-i-tee] / ˌvʌl nər əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

Rarely vulnerableness

noun

1. openness or susceptibility to attack or harm.

   We need to develop bold policies that will reduce the vulnerability of farmers to drought and floods.

2. willingness to show emotion or to allow one’s weaknesses to be seen or known; willingness to risk being emotionally hurt.

   The foundation for open communication consists of honesty, trust, and vulnerability.

3. the condition of needing supportive or protective social services and community resources because of advanced age, poverty, disability, etc..

   the vulnerability of disabled senior citizens.

4. Biology, likeliness to be classified as an endangered species in the near future unless circumstances improve.

   the vulnerability of the giraffe.

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Etymology

Origin of vulnerability

First recorded in 1800–10; vulnerable ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Example Sentences

Des Cars acknowledged the institution’s vulnerability, saying the heist underscored that the Louvre—despite being a national treasure that houses countless masterpieces—remains “fragile.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Separately, Anthropic unveiled a new Claude Code Security tool on Friday that scans for vulnerabilities and recommends software fixes for humans to review.

From Barron's

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand said in a statement that the tigers' deaths exposed the "extreme vulnerability of captive wildlife facilities to infectious disease".

From BBC

The Times caught up with Snow and Wayans to talk about the film, vulnerability, Black men’s health, and finding levity through the pain.

From Los Angeles Times

More recently, wealth managers, insurance brokers, and property service firms have come under scrutiny External link for their vulnerability to AI.

From Barron's

Related Words

• susceptibility