vulnerable
adjective
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The History of Vulnerable
Superheroes are often depicted in comic books and movies as all-powerful, deflecting boulders and missiles in mid-air with a flick of the wrist, walking through walls, and having indestructible skeletons and whatnot. Fans know, however, that even the mightiest, meatiest protagonist is vulnerable to something, be it kryptonite or forgetting the whereabouts of one’s hammer. Vulnerable ultimately comes from the Latin noun vulnus, meaning “wound,” by way of the Late Latin adjective vulnerabilis, which English speakers adopted as vulnerable in the early 1600s. Vulnerable continues to carry its original meaning of “capable of being physically wounded,” 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—even superheroes. So don’t go breaking their hearts, even if you can’t break their bones.
Synonyms
Examples of vulnerable in a Sentence
Katia Hetter, CNN, 17 Sep. 2024
Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle resigned, and the agency pledged to beef up security so that none of its several dozen protectees are that vulnerable again.
—Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 16 Sep. 2024
The notion that Trump told vulnerable Americans to inoculate themselves with household disinfectants has become an article of faith among Democrats, and faith is all that buttresses the allegation.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 16 Sep. 2024
By incorporating this latest find into future conservation assessments, scientists can better inform policy decisions and management strategies aimed at protecting these vulnerable species.
—Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for vulnerable 
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Cite this Entry
“Vulnerable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vulnerable. Accessed 28 Sep. 2024.
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vulnerable
adjective
Medical Definition
vulnerable
adjective
The Journal of the American Medical Association
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