vulnerable

adjective vul·ner·a·ble \ ˈvəl-n(ə-)rə-bəl , ˈvəl-nər-bəl \

|Updated on: 8 Jun 2018

Examples: vulnerable in a Sentence

Editor's Note: The History of vulnerable

Definition of vulnerable

1 : capable of being physically or emotionally wounded

2 : open to attack or damage : assailable

vulnerable to criticism

3 : liable to increased penalties but entitled to increased bonuses after winning a game in contract bridge

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vulnerability

play \ˌvəl-n(ə-)rə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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vulnerableness

play \ˈvəl-n(ə-)rə-bəl-nəs, ˈvəl-nər-bəl-\ noun

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vulnerably

play \ˈvəl-n(ə-)rə-blē, ˈvəl-nər-blē\ adverb

See vulnerable defined for English-language learners

See vulnerable defined for kids

vulnerable was our Word of the Day on 04/16/2018. Hear the podcast!

Examples of vulnerable in a Sentence

He was very vulnerable after his divorce.
The troops were in a vulnerable position.
The fort was undefended and vulnerable.

Recent Examples of vulnerable from the Web

Jefferson, a vision rehabilitation instructor, is teaching some of the most vulnerable people in Sonoma County, the center of last year’s firestorm.

— lizzie johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, "In the fire-scarred Wine Country, new help for the blind in disasters," 3 June 2018
Better understanding of where, and why, people were most vulnerable to the hurricane and its months-long aftermath can guide emergency planning and response.

— whitney eulich, The Christian Science Monitor, "Death toll disparity in Puerto Rico: why accurate numbers matter," 2 June 2018
In addition, the suit said children are more vulnerable to head, neck and brain injuries than adults because youth football players’ heads and brains are disproportionately large compared to the rest of their bodies.

— mark gokavi, ajc, "Dad of late ex-Ohio high school football player sues helmet makers," 2 June 2018
Authorities say the effects of drinking the contaminated water for vulnerable people can include fever, headache, vomiting and bloody diarrhea.

— bradford betz, Fox News, "Toxins in Salem drinking water prompt Oregon governor's emergency declaration," 1 June 2018
The clear answer is to help vulnerable people find and keep housing, but moving from homelessness to housing isn’t always simple.

— antoinette kraus, Philly.com, "Philly's heroin camps illustrate how housing instability hurts health," 29 May 2018
But as the world works towards ending abuse, technologists can and should do much more to help abuse survivors — as well as vulnerable people who are not yet victims.

— nicki dell, karen levy, damon mccoy, Vox, "How domestic abusers use smartphones to spy on their partners," 21 May 2018
Without that, there’s nothing to protect the most vulnerable people on the platform from this impenetrable tangle of altruism and e-commerce.

— cat ferguson, The Verge, "Predatory behavior runs rampant in Facebook’s addiction support groups," 21 May 2018
On one side were homeless advocates, service-worker unions and voters looking for Seattle to do more to help vulnerable people.

— author: matt day, daniel beekman, Anchorage Daily News, "Seattle City Council scales down head tax on large employers in face of Amazon revolt," 15 May 2018

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

The History of vulnerable

Vulnerable is ultimately derived from the Latin noun vulnus ("wound"). "Vulnus" led to the Latin verb vulnerare, meaning "to wound," and then to the Late Latin adjective vulnerabilis, which became "vulnerable" in English in the early 1600s. "Vulnerable" originally meant "capable of being physically wounded" or "having the power to wound" (the latter is now obsolete), but since the late 1600s, it has also been used figuratively to suggest a defenselessness against non-physical attacks. In other words, someone (or something) can be vulnerable to criticism or failure as well as to literal wounding. When it is used figuratively, "vulnerable" is often followed by the preposition "to."

Origin and Etymology of vulnerable

Late Latin vulnerabilis, from Latin vulnerare to wound, from vulner-, vulnus wound; probably akin to Latin vellere to pluck, Greek oulē wound

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1616

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

vulnerable Synonyms

Phrases

in the lurch;

VULNERABLE Defined for English Language Learners

vulnerable

adjective

Definition of vulnerable for English Language Learners

: easily hurt or harmed physically, mentally, or emotionally
: open to attack, harm, or damage

VULNERABLE Defined for Kids

vulnerable

adjective vul·ner·a·ble \ ˈvəl-nə-rə-bəl \

Definition of vulnerable for Students

1 : capable of being easily hurt or injured

The patient is vulnerable to infection.

2 : open to attack or damage

The troops were in a vulnerable position.

Medical Dictionary

vulnerable

adjective vul·ner·a·ble \ ˈvəln-(ə-)rə-bəl, ˈvəl-nər-bəl \

medical Definition of vulnerable

: capable of being hurt : susceptible to injury or disease

the liver is itself vulnerable to nutritional impairment
—Journal of the American Medical Association

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vulnerability

play \ˌvəln-(ə-)rə-ˈbil-ət-ē\ noun, plural -ties

Learn More about vulnerable

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vulnerable was our Word of the Day on 04/16/2018. Hear the podcast!

Examples of vulnerable in a Sentence

Recent Examples of vulnerable from the Web

The History of vulnerable

Origin and Etymology of vulnerable

vulnerable Synonyms

Synonyms

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VULNERABLE Defined for English Language Learners

vulnerable

Definition of vulnerable for English Language Learners

VULNERABLE Defined for Kids

vulnerable

Definition of vulnerable for Students

Medical Dictionary

vulnerable

medical Definition of vulnerable

vulnerability

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