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REFERENCE

susceptible

adj. · n.
US //səˈsɛptəbəɫ// UK //səsˈɛptəbəl// sus·cep·ti·ble
  1. 1 vulnerable to illness (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Medicine

    likely to be affected by a particular disease or medical condition.

    yielding readily to a pathogen or medical condition; lacking immunity or resistance.

    Example

    Older people are often more susceptible to the flu during the winter months.

    Example

    Patients with compromised immune systems remain highly susceptible to opportunistic infections that healthy individuals would easily repel.

    Usage

    Usually followed by the preposition 'to'.
  2. 2 easily influenced (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    easily influenced or affected by emotions or other people's ideas.

    easily influenced by feelings, suggestions, or the persuasive efforts of others.

    Example

    He was very susceptible to flattery and believed everything his boss told him.

    Example

    The advertisement was specifically designed to target young consumers who are often more susceptible to social pressure and trend-driven marketing.

    Usage

    Usually followed by the preposition 'to'.
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  1. 3 capable of being changed (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency Academic Formal

    able to be treated, changed, or understood in a certain way.

    capable of undergoing a specific process or being interpreted in a particular manner.

    Example

    The problem is susceptible to a simple solution if we look at the data.

    Example

    The poet's later works are susceptible to various interpretations, depending on the reader's understanding of the historical context.

    Usage

    Usually followed by the preposition 'to'.
  2. 4 an at-risk person (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Medicine

    a person who is likely to catch a disease because they have no protection against it.

    an individual within a population who lacks immunity to a specific infectious agent.

    Example

    The goal of the vaccine is to protect the susceptibles in the community.

    Example

    Epidemiologists track the ratio of susceptibles to immune individuals to predict how quickly a virus might spread through a city.
    • at risk person
Origin

From Late Latin susceptibilis, from Latin susceptus, from suscipiō.

Word family

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