vulnerability

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The condition of being easy to hurt or harm.

   Grammar: Often with to: vulnerability to attack.

   Patterns

   • vulnerability to something
   • the vulnerability of someone

   Older people have greater vulnerability to heat.

   The storm exposed the town's vulnerability.

   Her vulnerability showed when she cried.

2. 2nouncountablecomputing

   A weakness in a system that someone could exploit, especially in computer security.

   Grammar: Countable: a security vulnerability.

   Patterns

   • a vulnerability in something

   Hackers found a vulnerability in the software.

   The update fixes three vulnerabilities.

   Experts reported a serious vulnerability.

3. 3noununcountable

   Willingness to show your feelings and risk being hurt.

   Grammar: Psychology and everyday talk.

   Patterns

   • show vulnerability

   Vulnerability helps build trust.

   He admired her vulnerability.

   Leaders can show vulnerability.

Word forms

Common combinations

security vulnerability

A security vulnerability was patched.

show vulnerability

It takes courage to show vulnerability.

exploit a vulnerability

Attackers exploit a vulnerability.

vulnerability to

Vulnerability to flooding is high.

emotional vulnerability

Emotional vulnerability deepens friendship.

Synonyms and how they differ

weakness

Weakness is plainer and general.

susceptibility

Susceptibility is formal and stresses being easily affected.

exposure

Exposure means being open to a risk.

fragility

Fragility means easily broken.

Opposites

Word family

vulnerable adjective

easily hurt

vulnerably adverb

in an exposed way

invulnerable adjective

impossible to harm

Commonly confused: vulnerability or variability?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “vulnerability”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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