vulnerability

noun

Sayvul-nuh-ruh-BIL-uh-teeUS/ˌvʌln(ə)ɹəˈbɪləti/AUS/ˌvɐln(ə)ɹəˈbɪləti/UKvul-nuh-ruh-BIL-i-tee/ˌvʌln(ə)ɹəˈbɪlɪti/

Pluralvulnerabilities (some meanings)

3 meanings of vulnerability

1
noununcountable
Being easy to hurt or harm, in your body or your feelings.
Like a turtle without its shell, with nothing to keep it safe.
After the surgery, he felt a deep vulnerability he had never known before.
Her vulnerability showed when she spoke about losing her job.
Similarweakness, exposure, fragility, defenselessness, openness
Oppositestrength, resilience, security
Note
2
nouncountable
A weak point in the things that protect a person or thing.
Like a small crack in a wall that lets water get through.
The thief found a vulnerability in the store's old lock.
Every fortress has at least one vulnerability an enemy can use.
Similarweakness, flaw, gap, chink
Oppositestrength
Note
3
nouncountable or uncountable
A weak spot in a computer system that lets an attacker break its safety.
Like an unlocked window that lets a burglar into a locked house.
Hackers used a vulnerability in the app to steal passwords.
The team fixed the vulnerability before anyone could attack the website.
Similarflaw, weakness, hole
Note

Practice

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Origin

From the word "vulnerable" plus the ending "-ity."