vulnerable
[ vuhl-ner-uh-buhl ]
/ ˈvʌl nər ə bəl /
adjective
capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt, as by a weapon: a vulnerable part of the body.
open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc.: an argument vulnerable to refutation; He is vulnerable to bribery.
(of a place) open to assault; difficult to defend: a vulnerable bridge.
Bridge.
having won one of the games of a rubber.
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: At least 15 percent of our vulnerable reptiles are turtles. Abbreviation: VU
Origin of vulnerable
First recorded in 1610–20; from Late Latin
vulnerābilis “injurious, wounding,” equivalent to Latin
vulnerā(re) “to wound” +
-bilis; see
-ble
OTHER WORDS FROM vulnerable
vul·ner·a·bil·i·ty, vul·ner·a·ble·ness, noun vul·ner·a·bly, adverb un·vul·ner·a·ble, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH vulnerable
venerable vulnerableWords nearby vulnerable
vulgarize,
vulgate,
vulgate bible,
vulgus,
vulned,
vulnerable,
vulnerable phase,
vulnerary,
vulpecula,
vulpecular,
vulpicide
Example sentences from the Web for vulnerable
British Dictionary definitions for vulnerable
vulnerable
/ (ˈvʌlnərəbəl) /
adjective
capable of being physically or emotionally wounded or hurt
open to temptation, persuasion, censure, etc
liable or exposed to disease, disaster, etc
military
liable or exposed to attack
bridge
(of a side who have won one game towards rubber) subject to increased bonuses or penalties
Derived forms of vulnerable
vulnerability or vulnerableness, noun vulnerably, adverbWord Origin for vulnerable
C17: from Late Latin
vulnerābilis, from Latin
vulnerāre to wound, from
vulnus a wound