vulnerability
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the state of being easily hurt or not protected, especially when you show your feelings.
the state of being susceptible to physical or emotional injury; often used in psychology to describe openness to others.
Simple“Showing your vulnerability to a friend can actually make your relationship stronger.”
In context“The therapist argued that acknowledging one's vulnerability is a prerequisite for developing genuine emotional resilience in high-stress environments.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
a weakness in a computer system or a building that allows an attacker to get inside.
a specific weakness in a system's security or physical defences that can be exploited by a threat actor.
Simple“The company released a software update to fix a major vulnerability in their app.”
In context“Cybersecurity experts identified a critical vulnerability in the server's encryption protocol that could have exposed sensitive user data to unauthorised access.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'in' or 'to'.
Usage increase vulnerability
“Renewable energy and storage will continue to be "structural solutions to the exposure and vulnerability that the external dependence on fossil fuels represents", it added.”
“The case garnered national attention for exposing pilot behaviour toward female flight attendants and the vulnerability of the scores of young women who have historically been the target demographic for the job.”
From vulnerable + -ity.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.