Exposed

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Made visible by removing a cover or barrier ; placed in a situation where harm or risk is possible ; information or secrets disclosed to others
2. Left uncovered or open to view ; vulnerable to threats or adverse conditions ; something shown or brought to attention
3. Uncovered so it can be seen or accessed ; open to suffering from damage or attack ; something made public or uncovered from concealment

Etymology: The adjective "exposed" is the past participle of "expose," and its history runs through a single Latin verb that split into several English words. The Latin "expōnō" meant "set forth," literally "put out" or "lay out" in the open. That sense passed into Old French as "exposer," meaning "to lay open" or "set forth," and reached Middle English as "exposen." The same Latin source also gave English "expound" and "expone," which came through the Old French "espondre," meaning "to set forth, explain." So "expose" and "expound" are doublets: two English words sharing one ancestor, one that kept the idea of laying something bare and one that kept the idea of setting out an argument. Along the way "expose" picked up influence from the French "poser," meaning "to lay, place," which is why its spelling and sense shifted slightly toward placing something in view. That blend explains the modern pattern: something "exposed" has been laid out where it can be seen, and nothing covers it.

Synonyms: uncovered, revealed, open, bare, vulnerable

Antonyms: protected, concealed, sheltered, covered, hidden