vulnerability
nounUK /ˌvʌln(ə)ɹəˈbɪlɪti/ · CA, US /ˌvʌln(ə)ɹəˈbɪləti/
Etymology From vulnerable + -ity.
1
The state of being vulnerable; susceptibility to attack or injury, either physical or emotional; the state or condition of being weak or poorly defended.
- The country recognized their defence vulnerability after an airplane landed in front of the central square without any consequences.
- The only disadvantage of timber snow fencing is its extreme vulnerability to fire.1960 January 23, M. Harbottle, “Maintaining Services after Heavy Snowfalls”, in Railway Magazine, page 9:
2 more examples
- Though scientists do not know how stress affects gestation, Fukuda theorizes that the vulnerability of Y-bearing sperm cells, male embryos and/or male fetuses to stress is why “subtle significant changes in sex ratios” occur.2019 January 23, Susan Scutti, “Climate change will affect gender ratio among newborns, scientists say”, in CNN:
- Again, voice change is not easy and vulnerability plays a big part, but if choral teachers and adolescent singers approach it with the right mindframe, the experience can be empowering, enlightening, and restorative for all involved.2019, Bridget Sweet, Thinking Outside the Voice Box, page 71:
2
A specific weakness in the protections or defences surrounding someone or something.
3
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences A weakness which allows an attacker to reduce a system's security.
- Experts told CNN it could take weeks to address the vulnerabilities and that suspected Chinese hackers are already attempting to exploit it.2021 December 13, Sean Lyngaas, “US warns hundreds of millions of devices at risk from newly revealed software vulnerability”, in CNN:
- Synonyms
- vulnerableness
- Antonyms
- invulnerability
- Derived terms
- vulnerability index
- Related terms
- vulnerable