51Թ

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View synonyms for

vulnerable

[vuhl-ner-uh-buhl]

adjective

  1. capable of or susceptible to being attacked, damaged, or hurt.

    a vulnerable part of the body;

    vulnerable to predators;

    a company vulnerable to a hostile takeover.

  2. open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc..

    That is an argument vulnerable to refutation.

    He is vulnerable to bribery.

  3. (of a place) open to assault; difficult to defend.

    a vulnerable bridge.

  4. willing to show emotion or to allow one’s weaknesses to be seen or known.

    Men and boys are rarely seen as vulnerable.

  5. (of a person or population) needing supportive or protective social services and community resources because of advanced age, poverty, disability, etc.

  6. Bridge.having won one of the games of a rubber.

  7. Biology, Ecology.(of a threatened plant or animal species) likely to be classified endangered in the near future unless circumstances that threaten reproduction and survival improve, as categorized by the IUCN Red List: VU

    At least 15 percent of our vulnerable reptiles are turtles.



vulnerable

/ ˈʌəəə /

adjective

  1. capable of being physically or emotionally wounded or hurt

  2. open to temptation, persuasion, censure, etc

  3. liable or exposed to disease, disaster, etc

  4. military liable or exposed to attack

  5. bridge (of a side who have won one game towards rubber) subject to increased bonuses or penalties

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • vulnerability noun
  • vulnerableness noun
  • vulnerably adverb
  • unvulnerable adjective
  • ˈܱԱ adverb
  • ˌܱԱˈٲ noun
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of vulnerable1

First recorded in 1610–20; from Late Latin ܱԱ “injurious, wounding,” equivalent to Latin ܱԱ() “to wound” + -bilis; -ble
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of vulnerable1

C17: from Late Latin ܱԱ, from Latin ܱԱ to wound, from vulnus a wound
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The county Public Guardian serves as a conservator for vulnerable disabled residents, but can’t accept nameless cases.

From

Instead, children can help in other ways, such as helping to deliver groceries for a vulnerable neighbor, she said.

From

He also pointed out to the BBC that low-lying coastal areas, where some nickel deposits are found, are some of the places most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels.

From

"POWs are a particularly vulnerable category of witnesses, any evidence they give should be taken with a grain of salt."

From

The move could shrink access to health care for some of the nation’s poorest and most vulnerable people, warn analysts, patient advocates, and Democratic political leaders.

From

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