vulnerability

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vulnerability

/ˌvʌln(ə)ɹəˈbɪlɪti/ UK
/ˌvʌln(ə)ɹəˈbɪləti/ Canada, US
[ˌvʌln(ə)ɹəˈbɪləɾi] Canada, US
/ˌvɐln(ə)ɹəˈbɪləti/ Australia
[ˌvɐln(ə)ɹəˈbɪləɾi] Australia
/ˌvʌn(ə)ɹəˈbɪlɪti/ proscribed

Rhymes with -ɪlɪti

Where it comes from

From vulnerable + -ity.

noun vulnerabilities

uncountable The state of being vulnerable; susceptibility to attack or injury, either physical or emotional; the state or condition of being weak or poorly defended. Near-synonym: weakness
Similar: vulnerableness, weakness · Opposite: invulnerability
countable A specific weakness in the protections or defences that (literally or figuratively) surround someone or something. Near-synonyms: flaw, weakness, liability
Similar: flaw, weakness, liability
countable, uncountable A weakness which allows an attacker to reduce a system's security. Experts told CNN it could take weeks to address the vulnerabilities and that suspected Chinese hackers are already attempting to exploit it.
Similar: flaw, weakness, liability, vuln

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: exposure, frailty, weakened, weakening, debility, weakness, weak, precariousness, poor, fragile, fragility, insecurity, apathy, susceptibility, risk, defencelessness

Translations

Every language

noun computing: type of weakness

Español	vulnerabilidade
日本語	脆弱性 zeijakusei
Português	vulnerabilidade
Français	vulnérabilité
Deutsch	Schwachstelle, Sicherheitslücke
Italiano	vulnerabilità
Română	vulnerabilitate
Русский	уязви́мость ujazvímostʹ

noun state of being vulnerable

Español	vulnerabilidad
한국어	취약성 chwiyakseong
日本語	脆弱性 zeijakusei
中文	脆弱性 cuìruòxìng
Português	vulnerabilidade
Français	vulnérabilité
Deutsch	Verwundbarkeit, Verletzbarkeit, Verletzlichkeit, Vulnerabilität
Italiano	vulnerabilità
Ελληνικά	ευπάθεια efpátheia, τρωτότητα trotótita
Română	vulnerabilitate
Русский	уязви́мость ujazvímostʹ, рани́мость ranímostʹ

noun specific weakness

Español	vulnerabilidad
Ελληνικά	αδυναμία adynamía

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MLA

"vulnerability." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/vulnerability. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

vulnerability. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/vulnerability

Chicago

"vulnerability." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/vulnerability.

BibTeX

@misc{vulnerability_2026,
  title = {vulnerability},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/vulnerability},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}