ENGLISH
REFERENCE

vulnerable

adj.
C1 Advanced Oxford US //ˈvəɫnɝəbəɫ// UK //vˈʌlnəɹəbəl// vul·ner·a·ble

adj. easy to hurt or attack. You use this to describe people who need protection or systems that have a weakness.

adj. susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm; in a technical context, possessing a flaw that leaves a system open to exploitation.


SIMPLE

The old wooden door makes the house vulnerable to burglars.

CONTEXTUAL

Without the latest security patch, the company's database remains vulnerable to external cyber attacks.

COMPLEX

The charity provides essential support to vulnerable members of the community who lack access to stable housing or healthcare services.

Antonyms
Origin

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

Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'to' when specifying the source of the threat.

Pitfall

vulnerable for the virusvulnerable to the virusThe adjective 'vulnerable' collocations with the preposition 'to', not 'for'.

© 2026 English Reference