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susceptibility
/səˌsɛptəˈbɪləti/
likelihood of being affected
Medicine
formal
The state or fact of being likely or liable to be influenced or harmed by a particular thing.
Patients with weakened immune systems have a higher susceptibility to infections.
People with weak immune systems are more likely to get sick.
Commonly used in medical contexts to describe vulnerability to diseases or conditions.
formal
The quality or condition of being easily affected emotionally or psychologically.
Her susceptibility to criticism made it hard for her to accept feedback.
She was easily upset by criticism.
Refers to emotional or mental openness to influence.
Engineering
technical
The extent to which a material or system can be affected by external factors like stress or corrosion.
The susceptibility of steel to rust depends on its alloy composition.
How easily steel rusts is determined by its chemical makeup.
Used in materials science to describe responsiveness to environmental or mechanical stress.
Collocations
high susceptibilityvery likely to be affectedgenetic susceptibilityinherited tendency to develop a conditionsusceptibility to infectionvulnerability to getting sick
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Avoid confusion with 'susceptible'
While 'susceptibility' is the noun form, 'susceptible' is the adjective. Example: 'He has a high susceptibility to allergies' vs. 'He is susceptible to allergies.'
Gold Rule
Use in formal contexts
Prefer 'susceptibility' in academic, medical, or technical writing rather than casual speech.
Word Origin
From Latin *susceptibilitas*, from *susceptibilis* ('receptive'), from *suscipere* ('to take up, receive'), from *sub-* ('under') + *capere* ('to take').
Usage Notes
Often used in technical, medical, or psychological contexts. Avoid using it casually to mean general openness unless the context is clear.
Word Breakdown
suscept-
to take up or receive
root-ibility
state or quality of
suffixEnglish Dictionary