Harmable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. An entity or individual that is able to experience damage, injury, or adverse effects on health
2. A subject that has the potential to be negatively impacted, affected, or harmed in different ways
3. A being or object that can suffer loss, damage, or detrimental consequences due to various circumstances

Etymology: "Harmable" is a plain formation: the noun "harm" with the suffix "-able," which turns a noun or verb into an adjective meaning "capable of being" the thing described. Here that yields "capable of being harmed," so something that can be damaged, injured, or adversely affected. The base "harm" is an older English word, going back to Old English "hearm," meaning injury or affliction, and it has long been used both as a noun and a verb. Attaching "-able" to it follows the same pattern as words like "breakable" or "washable," where the suffix, borrowed through Old French from Latin "-abilis," marks ability or susceptibility.

Synonyms: vulnerable, susceptible, liable

Antonyms: invulnerable, immune, safe