Unprotecting

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Taking away a form of defense or safeguard from an object or person
2. The act of making something or someone vulnerable by withdrawing protective measures
3. Removing security or coverings that prevent harm or damage

Etymology: "Unprotecting" is the present participle of "unprotect", which is built from the prefix "un-" and "protect", and so simply means removing protection from something. The prefix comes from Old English "un-", which was used to reverse or negate a verb or adjective, while "protect" was borrowed from Latin "protegere", meaning "to cover in front", from "pro-" ("before") and "tegere" ("to cover"). The sense of shielding something by standing in front of it therefore sits at the heart of the word, and "unprotecting" simply reverses that act. "Deprotect", a close relative, follows the same pattern with the Latin-derived prefix "de-" in place of "un-", and is a useful comparison because the two words share the same meaning.

Synonyms: exposing, vulnerabilizing, endangering, jeopardizing, risking

Antonyms: protecting, safeguarding, shielding, defending, guarding