Fragility is the quality of being easily broken, damaged, or harmed. It can describe physical objects or emotional and social situations.
From Latin “fragilitas” meaning “brittleness,” from “fragilis” (fragile). English formed the noun directly from the adjective “fragile.”
Fragility is like a warning label built into a situation: ‘this can’t handle much stress.’ Engineers, doctors, and even psychologists all think about fragility, just with different kinds of ‘pressure’ in mind.
Like “fragile,” “fragility” has been used to characterize supposed inherent weakness in women, reinforcing paternalistic protection and exclusion. It also appears in modern discourse (e.g., “male fragility,” “white fragility”) to describe defensive reactions to challenges, but the older gendered sense targeted women.
Use “fragility” for specific systems, materials, or behaviors rather than as an essential trait of a gender or group. Clarify context (emotional fragility, structural fragility) rather than implying innate weakness.
["vulnerability","instability","sensitivity (context-specific)"]
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