VULNERABILITY Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

vulnerability

noun

Definition of vulnerability

as in susceptibility

the quality or state of having little resistance to some outside agent vulnerability to infection

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in exposure

the state of being left without shelter or protection against something harmful the vulnerability of the car to vandalism when it's parked on the street

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of vulnerability The continued hostilities have heightened concerns about the vulnerability of Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure, with traders increasingly focused on the risk of a major disruption to production, refining or export facilities. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026 The next question is how widely medicine can put that vulnerability to work in individual cases. — Mike McRae 25, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026 The result exposed vulnerabilities in Lula’s reelection bid, from frustration over the cost of living and crime to difficulties mobilizing parts of his traditional base. — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026 As the old roadster comes to life on a narrow hillside road, the cacophony of the 12-cylinder engine only amplifies my sense of exposure and vulnerability—and that’s just from the passenger seat. — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2026 The underlying vulnerability of the GOP was the state of the economy, which was suffering from inflation and the hangover from the oil embargo of 1973 by Arab members of OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. — Ron Elving, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026 Roughly one-third of Gaston households rent, compared with about one-fifth in Union, and renters throughout the region reported substantially lower well-being and greater financial vulnerability than homeowners. — Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026 But if policymakers work on solving those vulnerabilities, the technology’s negative impacts might not be felt. — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Cyber researchers have used AI to detect a new vulnerability in a programming language that undergirds 70 percent of the internet. — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vulnerability

Noun

Severity depends on the amount of bacteria that’s inhaled, the strain that’s involved and individual susceptibility, Vanrompay says.

— Rachel Melegrito, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026
Studies of these families have helped identify potential susceptibility genes for lung cancer and environmental risk factors.

— Estelamari Rodriguez, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of susceptibility

Noun

That exposure is also changing what audiences expect from Egyptian cinema.

— Essie Assibu, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026
As the old roadster comes to life on a narrow hillside road, the cacophony of the 12-cylinder engine only amplifies my sense of exposure and vulnerability—and that’s just from the passenger seat.

— Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of exposure

Noun

These give the driver real-time control over accelerator pedal sensitivity, wheel slip thresholds (with nine traction settings) and cornering agility.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026
The authors concluded that improved laboratory sensitivity and statistical methods could help agencies better interpret drinking-water monitoring results.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of sensitivity

Browse Nearby Words

vulgarly

vulnerability

vulnerable

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“Vulnerability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vulnerability. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of vulnerability

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