insecurity

[in-si-kyoor-i-tee]

noun

plural

insecurities 

1. lack of confidence or assurance; self-doubt.

   He is plagued by insecurity.

2. the quality or state of being insecure; instability.

   the insecurity of her financial position.

   Synonyms: vulnerability, shakiness, precariousness

3. something insecure.

   the many insecurities of life.

Word History and Origins

Origin of insecurity¹

First recorded in 1640–50; from Medieval Latin insēcūritās; insecure, -ity

Example Sentences

The contradiction of her career is that the things we in the audience loved about her — the breezy humor, the self-deprecating charm, the iconic threads — were Keaton’s attempts to mask her own insecurities.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In another survey, at least two-thirds of parents felt that boys were uncomfortable expressing feelings of fear, sadness, loneliness and insecurity.

Read more on Salon

Food insecurity rarely exists in isolation, McCarthy said.

Read more on Salon

But the report predicted a "deterioration" in the situation in the coming months, with 5.91 million people expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity.

Read more on Barron's

"To be a young person in Madagascar, you have to be tough," he adds, explaining that insecurity is rife.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• self-doubt 
• uncertainty