noun
vulnerability
vuhln-ruh-BIH-lih-tee
noun
1
The state of being open to being hurt, attacked, or emotionally exposed.
"Opening up about his past took real vulnerability."
"The elderly residents were at heightened vulnerability during the heatwave."
2
A weakness in a system, especially a computer system, that could be exploited by an attacker.
"The security team patched a critical vulnerability in the login system."
How to Use Vulnerability
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBeing exposed to harm — emotionally, physically, or (in tech) through a security weakness.
Common pairings
emotional vulnerability
security vulnerability
exploit a vulnerability
Word Forms
vulnerabilities plural
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Etymology
From vulnerable plus the noun suffix -ity.