susceptibility

sus·cep·ti·bil·i·ty | \ sə-ˌsep-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē

plural susceptibilities

Definition of susceptibility

1 : the quality or state of being susceptible especially : lack of ability to resist some extraneous agent (such as a pathogen or drug) : sensitivity

2a : a susceptible temperament or constitution

b susceptibilities plural : feelings, sensibilities

3a : the ratio of the magnetization in a substance to the corresponding magnetizing force

b : the ratio of the electric polarization to the electric intensity in a polarized dielectric

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Examples of susceptibility in a Sentence

A weak immune system causes increased susceptibility to disease. his aunt's unfortunate susceptibility to viruses meant she was nearly always sick

Recent Examples on the Web The susceptibility of black ex-soldiers to extrajudicial murder and assault has long been recognized by historians. — The New Yorker, "Sunday Reading: Veterans’ Stories," 10 Nov. 2019 Human behaviors are just as critical to our disease susceptibility as are the characteristics of the pathogen itself. — Bridget Alex, The Conversation, "Plague was around for millennia before epidemics took hold – and the way people lived might be what protected them," 7 Nov. 2019 Many of the shortcomings of the previous autumn ― tackling, susceptibility to a sturdy run game and a discombobulated offense ― reared themselves against No. — Joey Knight, orlandosentinel.com, "Wisconsin clobbers USF, hands Bulls worst loss in school history," 31 Aug. 2019 Scientists use the results to develop polygenic risk scores, which count the risky variants on someone’s genome to estimate their susceptibility to a disease. — Adrian Pecotic, Quartz, "The thorny ethics of collecting genetic data from indigenous people," 9 Oct. 2019 Another problem with Facebook’s role in the news ecosystem is News Feed’s susceptibility to websites that look like news outlets but aren’t. — Jeff Bercovici, Los Angeles Times, "Facebook will use journalists to curate news, opening itself to more bias allegations," 20 Aug. 2019 Colorado and the Plains are prone to seeing large hail due to a unique combination of high elevation and an overall susceptibility to severe weather. — Chris Bianchi, The Denver Post, "Did Colorado just see its largest hailstone on record?," 13 Aug. 2019 The susceptibility of this argument to abuse by a ruler ought to preclude its being made. — The Editors, National Review, "Let Republican Voters Choose," 12 Sep. 2019 Vaping, even without any nicotine or THC, can cause changes in the lungs that might increase susceptibility to viruses and possibly raise the risk of pneumonia, a study published Wednesday suggests. — Linda Carroll, NBC News, "Vaping may disrupt immune cells in the lungs, mouse study finds," 4 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'susceptibility.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

4 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Susceptibility.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/susceptibility. Accessed 14 December 2019.

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More Definitions for susceptibility

susceptibility

noun

English Language Learners Definition of susceptibility

: the state of being easily affected, influenced, or harmed by something

chiefly British, formal : a person's feelings

See the full definition for susceptibility in the English Language Learners Dictionary

susceptibility

noun

sus·cep·ti·bil·i·ty | \ sə-ˌsep-tə-ˈbil-ət-ē

plural susceptibilities

Medical Definition of susceptibility

1 : the quality or state of being susceptible : the state of being predisposed to, sensitive to, or of lacking the ability to resist something (as a pathogen, familial disease, or a drug) : sensitivity

2a : the ratio of the magnetization in a substance to the corresponding magnetizing force — see paramagnetic

b : the ratio of the electric polarization to the electric intensity in a polarized dielectric

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