susceptibility
noun
sus·cep·ti·bil·i·ty
sə-ˌsep-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 
plural susceptibilities
1
: the quality or state of being susceptible
especially
: lack of ability to resist some extraneous agent (such as a pathogen or drug) : sensitivity
2
a
: a susceptible temperament or constitution
b
3
a
: the ratio of the magnetization in a substance to the corresponding magnetizing force
b
: the ratio of the electric polarization to the electric intensity in a polarized dielectric
Examples of susceptibility in a Sentence
A weak immune system causes increased susceptibility to disease.
his aunt's unfortunate susceptibility to viruses meant she was nearly always sick
Recent Examples on the Web
While striped skunk is edible, Coalition Brewing warns against its strong odor, scavenger diet and susceptibility to parasites.
—
Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
While pregnancy at any age sparks a host of rapid breast changes that may temporarily up your cancer risk in the few years immediately following, facing those fluctuations at age 35-plus—when your baseline susceptibility is higher simply because of age—just further raises that risk.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 1 Oct. 2025
Older adults who cycle regularly are likely a healthier subgroup, and cycling may also serve as a marker of favorable genetics, with risk lowest among those without genetic susceptibility to dementia, Verghese said.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
The study posed that ethnogenetic susceptibility and environmental exposure from pollution or endocrine-disrupting chemicals might be contributing factors.
—Lauren Giella, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for susceptibility
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Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
While pregnancy at any age sparks a host of rapid breast changes that may temporarily up your cancer risk in the few years immediately following, facing those fluctuations at age 35-plus—when your baseline susceptibility is higher simply because of age—just further raises that risk.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 1 Oct. 2025
Older adults who cycle regularly are likely a healthier subgroup, and cycling may also serve as a marker of favorable genetics, with risk lowest among those without genetic susceptibility to dementia, Verghese said.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
The study posed that ethnogenetic susceptibility and environmental exposure from pollution or endocrine-disrupting chemicals might be contributing factors.
—Lauren Giella, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for susceptibility
Cite this Entry
“Susceptibility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/susceptibility. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
susceptibility
noun
sus·cep·ti·bil·i·ty
sə-ˌsep-tə-ˈbil-ət-ē
plural susceptibilities
1
: the quality or state of being susceptible
especially
: lack of ability to resist some outside agent (as a disease-causing germ or drug)
2
a
: a susceptible disposition or nature
b
plural
: one's emotional state : feelings
Medical Definition
susceptibility
noun
sus·cep·ti·bil·i·ty
sə-ˌsep-tə-ˈbil-ət-ē
plural susceptibilities
1
: the quality or state of being susceptible : the state of being predisposed to, sensitive to, or of lacking the ability to resist something (as a pathogen, familial disease, or a drug) : sensitivity
2
a
: the ratio of the magnetization in a substance to the corresponding magnetizing force see paramagnetic
b
: the ratio of the electric polarization to the electric intensity in a polarized dielectric
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