vulnerable

American  

[vuhl-ner-uh-buhl] / ˈvʌl nər ə bəl /

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.

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vulnerable British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of vulnerable

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

Example Sentences

"Since the arson attack, we have put in place an enhanced, bespoke policing plan, which has been focused around vulnerable areas not only in Golders Green, but right across London," he said.

From BBC

Birol said recommendations from the agency to member countries have included encouragement of working from home, reducing speed limits for cars and providing financial support to vulnerable people.

From MarketWatch

“But they don’t factor in the big risks to retirement — like increasing healthcare costs or a long-term-care event. … These blind spots can leave people vulnerable.”

From MarketWatch

Yet for one particularly vulnerable population, the decision to reach out can be especially complicated.

From Los Angeles Times

The market is vulnerable to outages anywhere, from hurricanes, industrial action or cyberattacks.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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