exposure

The word “exposure” means the state of being unprotected from something harmful, such as weather, disease, or danger. In plain terms, being open to something — weather, danger, publicity, or financial risk — or a single photograph.

“Exposure” is pronounced ihk-SPOH-zhuh (/ɪkˈspoʊ.ʒɚ/ in IPA).

Here is “exposure” used in a sentence: “The climbers suffered from exposure after being stranded overnight.”

“Exposure” is a noun.

“Exposure” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Exposure” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the state of being unprotected from something harmful, such as weather, disease, or danger.

Dying of exposure means death caused by being unprotected from harsh conditions, usually extreme cold or heat. In cold weather it results from hypothermia, when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. The phrase describes the fatal effect of prolonged, unprotected exposure to the elements.

In medicine and public health, exposure means coming into contact with something that could harm you — a virus, bacteria, radiation, or a toxic substance — without protection. Being exposed does not guarantee illness, but it creates the risk. Reducing exposure through hygiene or protective gear lowers that risk.

In the sense of being unprotected, exposure can be to the weather or elements, to disease and infection, to radiation or chemicals, or to danger in general. The word has separate meanings too — media exposure means publicity, and in photography exposure is the amount of light reaching the sensor.