insecurity
Americannoun
-
lack of confidence or assurance; self-doubt.
He is plagued by insecurity.
-
the quality or state of being insecure; instability.
the insecurity of her financial position.
- Synonyms:
- vulnerability, shakiness, precariousness
-
something insecure.
the many insecurities of life.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insecurity
First recorded in 1640–50; from Medieval Latin insēcūritās; see origin at insecure, -ity
Explanation
Insecurity is a feeling of uncertainty, a lack of confidence or anxiety about yourself. Put aside your insecurities and start acting like the smart, capable person you are! Insecurity is the word for what you are probably feeling when you walk into the cafeteria on your first day at a new school and everyone else already has someone to sit with. But soon you will make friends and forget about your insecurities. It can also describe the state of being open to danger or threat. The economy may have you worried about job insecurity. Or maybe it's the insecurity of a rocky relationship that keeps you up at night.
Vocabulary lists containing insecurity
Workshop 2, Part 2
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Content Summary 1.1: Human Adaptation and Migration in the Paleolithic World
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The Red Umbrella
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Insecurity "must be addressed, but technically, not emotionally."
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
Insecurity is not uncommon among artists—or the rest of us—but few stars broadcast their anxieties to the world like Eilish: She is wildly open, the emotional equivalent of a fire hydrant spraying a summer sidewalk.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025
Insecurity is hampering people from doing very simple things right now like taking their children to school, or going to the supermarket or work which are “extremely risky,” he said.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 12, 2024
Insecurity is one of the issues that will confront Nigeria's next president, Bola Tinubu, who is due to be sworn in in May.
From Reuters • Apr. 4, 2023
Insecurity had dropped them down upon the bed-rock elemental truths.
From The Summons by Mason, A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
