At risk
Meaning
In a situation where exposure to danger, harm, or loss is possible.
Origin
The word "risk" itself sails into English from 16th-century Italian, "risco" or "rischio," referring to the daring uncertainty faced by mariners navigating treacherous seas. To be "at risk" then, places you squarely in that ship, facing potential storms or hidden rocks. While there isn't one dramatic historical event that birthed this precise phrase, its power lies in its directness: "at" signals location or state, pinning you right in the zone of potential danger. As societies grew more complex, needing to quantify and manage everything from financial investments to public health, "at risk" became the indispensable shorthand, a precise label for any person, object, or venture hanging in the balance, a phrase that puts the peril into stark, immediate relief.
Examples
- The company's future is at risk if they don't adapt to new technologies.
- Children in the war zone are at risk of malnutrition and disease.