susceptibility

noun

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

plural susceptibilities

1

: the quality or state of being susceptible

especially : lack of ability to resist some extraneous agent (such as a pathogen or drug) : sensitivity

2

a

: a susceptible temperament or constitution

b

susceptibilities plural : feelings, sensibilities

3

a

: 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

• vulnerability
• sensitivity

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 Guadalupe River is bedded with limestone rather than mud, which contributes to its susceptibility to flooding and the fast flow of floodwaters. —Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025

As our connectivity increases, so do our visibility and susceptibility to individuals seeking to compromise our accounts and appropriate our identities. —Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025

For instance, underlying health conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes or respiratory illness are linked to higher susceptibility to hotter weather. —Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025

Other sweeps forged dramatic genetic changes affecting skin pigmentation; blood type; and susceptibility to diseases such as tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, celiac disease, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. —Kermit Pattison, Scientific American, 20 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for susceptibility

• acceptability
• accessibility
• adaptability
• admissibility
• advisability
• affordability
• allowability
• amenability
• amiability
• appealability
• applicability
• availability

Kids Definition

susceptibility

noun

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

plural susceptibilities

1

: the quality or state of being susceptible

especially : lack of ability to resist some outside agent (as a disease-causing germ or drug)

2

a

: a susceptible disposition or nature

b

plural : one's emotional state : feelings

Medical Definition

susceptibility

noun

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

plural susceptibilities

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

2

a

: 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