susceptibility
Meaning
the state of being easily influenced, harmed, or affected by something
the condition of being liable to a disease, infection, or condition
Structure
Usage
his stressful lifestyle increased his susceptibility to infections.
the material's susceptibility to corrosion makes it unsuitable for marine use.
children have a greater susceptibility to advertising messages.
Etymology
the word 'susceptibility' traces its lineage to the latin verb suscipere, a compound of sub- (from below, up) and capere (to take), literally meaning 'to take up' or 'undertake'. this core notion of 'receiving or taking something from below' evolved in late latin and middle french into the sense of being liable or subject to an influence. the english adaptation in the 17th century appended the noun-forming suffix '-ibility', shifting the focus from the act of receiving to the inherent state or quality of being capable of receiving. thus, the modern abstract meaning of a condition of being easily affected or liable to something logically extends from this ancient concept of being a vessel that 'takes up' external forces, whether emotional, physical, or pathological.
Analysis
suscept (from latin suscept-, past participial stem of suscipere, meaning 'to take up, undertake'); ibility (a compound suffix from latin -ibilis (capable of) + -itas (state, condition), forming nouns indicating a quality or state)