vulnerable
adjectiveCEFR B2
What does “vulnerable” mean in English?
vulnerable
vulnerable (exposed to harm or adverse circumstances, especially due to social or structural disadvantage; colectivos vulnerables)
Example sentences
Las políticas de austeridad tienden a golpear desproporcionadamente a los colectivos más vulnerables de la sociedad.
Austerity policies tend to disproportionately hit the most vulnerable groups in society.
El sistema de protección social fue diseñado precisamente para proteger a quienes se encuentran en una situación más vulnerable.
The social protection system was designed precisely to protect those in the most vulnerable situations.
Las infraestructuras costeras son especialmente vulnerables al aumento del nivel del mar provocado por el calentamiento global.
Coastal infrastructure is especially vulnerable to sea-level rise caused by global warming.
How to use it
Vulnerable (adjective, invariable in gender) means 'vulnerable' — exposed to harm, risk, or adverse consequences due to circumstances beyond one's control. At B2 it is used primarily to describe groups or systems: colectivos vulnerables, poblaciones vulnerables, infraestructuras vulnerables. It often pairs with proteger: proteger a los más vulnerables. Note that vulnerable does not inflect for gender — it is the same for masculine and feminine: un grupo vulnerable / una persona vulnerable. The noun form is la vulnerabilidad.
Common mistake
Vulnerable is invariable — it does NOT change ending for feminine: una persona vulnerable (not *vulnerabla). The preposition after vulnerable is a: vulnerable a las enfermedades, vulnerable a los cambios climáticos. Don't confuse vulnerable (exposed to risk) with frágil (inherently weak/fragile) — a system can be frágil without being vulnerable to a specific external threat.