susceptibility

noun

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

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about susceptibility

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Synonyms & Antonyms for susceptibility

Synonyms

defenselessness, vulnerability, weakness

Antonyms

invulnerability

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 researchers proved that EverCrypt is free of coding errors, like buffer overruns, that can enable hacking attacks — in effect, provably ruling out susceptibility to all possible corner cases. — Quanta Magazine, "Cryptography That Can’t Be Hacked," 2 Apr. 2019 Numerous variables could impact a lithium-ion battery's susceptibility to such runaway, including its charge/discharge history, age, the ambient conditions it's been exposed to, and more. — Alexander Stoklosa, Car and Driver, "Tesla Fires Spur Software Update, but Here's Why You Needn't Panic," 16 May 2019 Since our bodies secrete insulin to help our cells absorb sugar, fasting is linked to reducing our susceptibility to insulin resistance over time. — Jaclyn London, Ms, Rd, Cdn, Good Housekeeping, "What You Should Know About the 16:8 Diet Before You Start Fasting," 3 May 2019 The grandiosity of such statements should be a tipoff—as should tech billionaires’ susceptibility to Ray Kurzweil’s singularity cult, which promises immortality to anyone willing to merge with the machine. — Frank Rose, WSJ, "‘The Age of Surveillance Capitalism’ Review: The New Big Brother," 14 Jan. 2019 MmWave comes with significantly limiting trade-offs, though, like worse penetration, smaller range, and more susceptibility to weather when compared to LTE. — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, "AT&T 5G goes live this week with ridiculously overpowered hotspot," 20 Dec. 2018 In this third installment in a trilogy about the California wine industry, the author delves into such topics as the region’s susceptibility to drought and wildfires and land-use controversies stemming from wine tourism. — Jocelyn Mcclurg, USA TODAY, "Weekend picks for book lovers, including 'Varina' by Charles Frazier," 14 Apr. 2018 The area's susceptibility to drought and wildfires. — Zlati Meyer, USA TODAY, "'Napa Valley' book is more a light rosé than a hearty burgundy," 28 Mar. 2018 Janjua said that in certain states where AFM is more common, some people, like those with asthma, might be more at risk, depending on their susceptibility. — Josephine Yurcaba, Teen Vogue, "What to Know About AFM, the Polio-Like Illness Spreading Among Kids," 4 Dec. 2018

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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Dictionary Entries near susceptibility

Statistics for susceptibility

Last Updated

19 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for susceptibility

The first known use of susceptibility was in 1644

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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