susceptibility

[suh-sep-tuh-bil-i-tee] /səˌsɛp təˈbɪl ɪ ti/
noun, plural susceptibilities.
1.
state or character of being susceptible:
susceptibility to disease.
2.
capacity for receiving mental or moral impressions; tendency to be emotionally affected.
3.
susceptibilities, capacities for emotion; feelings:
His susceptibilities are easily wounded.
4.
Electricity.
  1. electric susceptibility.
  2. magnetic susceptibility.
Origin
1635-45; < Medieval Latin susceptibilitās, equivalent to susceptibil(is) susceptible + -itās- -ity
Related forms
nonsusceptibility, noun
oversusceptibility, noun
presusceptibility, noun, plural presusceptibilities.
unsusceptibility, noun
Synonyms
2. See sensibility.
Examples from the web for susceptibility
  • Some doctors believe that even mild thyroid failure may increase susceptibility to major depression.
  • susceptibility to rot from moisture is one of the main weaknesses of straw-bale construction.
  • susceptibility to trauma-ranging from propeller damage to gunshot wounds-did not rise with inbreeding.
  • He believes that alcohol lessens susceptibility to radiation poisoning.
  • Nicotine addiction gene may also increase susceptibility to lung cancer.
  • Both factors could be involved, with some people inheriting an increased susceptibility to the virus.
  • Those effects are plain to see: slowing-down and a growing susceptibility to disease.
  • The genetic variations can be used to identify susceptibility to a particular disease and to pinpoint targets for drug treatments.
  • The susceptibility label is something of a misnomer.
  • That's because it's biological age that determines susceptibility to disease.
British Dictionary definitions for susceptibility

susceptibility

/səˌsɛptəˈbɪlɪtɪ/
noun (pl) -ties
1.
the quality or condition of being susceptible
2.
the ability or tendency to be impressed by emotional feelings; sensitivity
3.
(pl) emotional sensibilities; feelings
4.
(physics)
  1. Also called electric susceptibility. (of a dielectric) the amount by which the relative permittivity differs from unity Χ
  2. Also called magnetic susceptibility. (of a magnetic medium) the amount by which the relative permeability differs from unity Κ