Vulnerabilize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To render susceptible to harm or attack by exposing weaknesses or flaws; to make vulnerable or defenseless; to increase the likelihood of being damaged or impaired
2. To cause something or someone to become open to danger or damage by weakening protective barriers; to impart a state of vulnerability; to introduce susceptibility to risk or harm
3. To act in a way that reduces strength or protection, thus exposing to potential threats; to create conditions where harm is more likely; to weaken defenses or security measures intentionally or unintentionally

Etymology: "Vulnerabilize" is a plain formation rather than a story with a famous coiner. It combines the adjective "vulnerable", from Late Latin "vulnerabilis" (meaning "able to be wounded", from Latin "vulnerare", "to wound", itself from "vulnus", "wound"), with the verb-forming suffix "-ize", which comes from Greek "-izein" by way of Latin and French. English has used "vulnerable" since the 1600s, and the suffix has been attached to adjectives for centuries to produce verbs meaning "to make or render [adjective]". The verb is considerably later and far less common than its parent. Dictionaries record it mainly from the late twentieth century, when it appeared in discussions of security, medicine, and risk management. Its usage is largely confined to technical or formal writing, where "make vulnerable" or "expose" would often serve just as well.

Synonyms: weaken, expose

Antonyms: protect, fortify, secure