vulnerability
- The quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally. nounThe vulnerability of the coastal areas to flooding has increased due to climate change.She showed her vulnerability by sharing her personal struggles with the group.
- A weakness or flaw in a system or software that can be exploited by threats to gain unauthorized access or cause harm. nounThe cybersecurity team worked tirelessly to patch the vulnerability in the software.Hackers often look for vulnerabilities in network systems to infiltrate them.