vulnerability

[ vuhl-ner-uh-bil-i-tee ]

/ ˌvʌl nər əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

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See synonyms for: vulnerability / vulnerabilities on Thesaurus.com

noun

openness or susceptibility to attack or harm: We need to develop bold policies that will reduce the vulnerability of farmers to drought and floods.

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.

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.

Biology, Ecology. likeliness to be classified as an endangered species in the near future unless circumstances improve: the vulnerability of the giraffe.

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Rarely vul·ner·a·ble·ness

[vuhl-ner-uh-buhl-nis] /ˈvʌl nər ə bəl nɪs/ .

Origin of vulnerability

First recorded in 1800–10; vulnerable + -ity

Words nearby vulnerability

Vulgar Latin, Vulgate, Vulgate Bible, vulgus, vulned, vulnerability, vulnerable, vulnerary, Vulpecula, vulpecular, vulpicide

How to use vulnerability in a sentence

Worryingly, the public may be especially vulnerable to attempts to delegitimize the election, too.
What If Trump Loses And Won’t Leave?|Geoffrey Skelley (geoffrey.skelley@abc.com)|September 14, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
The malicious app would have to exploit the vulnerabilities to inject a malicious file into the vulnerable TikTok app.
TikTok fixes Android bugs that could have led to account hijacks|Zack Whittaker|September 11, 2020|TechCrunch
A knee injury to Laporte early in the season left the Cityzens thin at the back, and they looked vulnerable as a result.
Will Liverpool Run Away With The Premier League Again, Or Can Manchester City Take The Title Back?|Terrence Doyle|September 10, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
The TVPRA states that when a child is apprehended at the border, they must be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services and put into the care of people who have specialized training in caring for vulnerable and traumatized children.
Why I signed a letter to Ivanka Trump urging her to protect human trafficking survivors|jakemeth|September 2, 2020|Fortune

The numbers of people who would be rendered vulnerable to this are surely larger than anybody should be prepared to accept.
Herd immunity alone won’t stop COVID-19. Here’s why.|Kate Baggaley|September 2, 2020|Popular-Science
I said that mixture of glamour and vulnerability is potent, especially if you can sense the vulnerability.
Daphne Merkin on Lena Dunham, Book Criticism, and Self-Examination|Mindy Farabee|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the weight of their hope was their greatest vulnerability.
The Life and Hard Times Of The Family A Cuban Defector Left Behind|Brin-Jonathan Butler|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This sense of vulnerability is, of course, even more acute in micro-states like Jamaica.
How Maurice Tomlinson Was Outed in Jamaica—and Forced Into Exile|Jay Michaelson|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Amina Alzouma (“Young Girl”) surprised us all with her disturbingly beautiful displays of vulnerability and intensity.
Nitehawk Shorts Festival: ‘Brute,’ a Twisted Take on Playing in the Dark|Julia Grinberg|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Spirituality, after all, is not as marketable as sex appeal, so maybe the media-savvy McCarthy is exposing a true vulnerability.
Jenny McCarthy: I Am Not Anti-Vaccine|Lloyd Grove|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Most particularly I want to learn their points of greatest vulnerability.
Destiny|Charles Neville Buck
In this one respect of vulnerability to superstition he felt himself immeasurably her superior.
The Gray Mask|Wadsworth Camp
At a maximum, vulnerability is that of a small battery of guns and wagons limbered up.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 2|Various
New centers of gravity are being created as are new vulnerability choke points.
Shock and Awe|Harlan K. Ullman
We observe that in the private sector, the vulnerability of information systems is real and is being exploited.
Shock and Awe|Harlan K. Ullman

vulnerability

Origin of vulnerability

Words nearby vulnerability

Words related to vulnerability

How to use vulnerability in a sentence