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vulnerable

adj.
US //ˈvəɫnɝəbəɫ// UK //vˈʌlnəɹəbəl// vul·ner·a·ble
  1. 1 easily hurt or attacked (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    easy to hurt or attack, either physically or emotionally.

    susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm.

    Example

    The small village was vulnerable to attacks because it had no walls.

    Example

    After the recent scandal, the politician felt increasingly vulnerable to criticism from both the media and his own party members.
  2. 2 security weakness (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    describes a computer or system that is not protected against hackers or viruses.

    susceptible to exploitation by malicious software or unauthorised users due to a flaw in code or design.

    Example

    Old computers are often vulnerable to new types of viruses.

    Example

    The security audit revealed that the database was vulnerable to SQL injection attacks due to outdated encryption protocols.

    Usage

    Often used with the preposition 'to'.
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  1. 3 at risk of extinction (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

    describes a type of animal or plant that is likely to become endangered soon.

    categorised as being at high risk of extinction in the wild, though not yet critically endangered.

    Example

    Giant pandas were once endangered, but now they are classified as vulnerable.

    Example

    Conservationists are working to protect the habitat of several vulnerable species before their population numbers drop to critical levels.
Origin

From Late Latin vulnerābilis (“injurious, wounding”), from Latin vulnerō (“I wound”).

Word family

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