insecurity

American  

[in-si-kyoor-i-tee] / ˌɪn sɪˈkjʊər ɪ ti /

noun

• insecurities
  plural

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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• insecurities
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

insecurity insecurities

In the end, all that feels certain is the characters’ insecurity, their conviction that, whatever part they perform, there is someone else who can do it better.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

"The convergence of insecurity, population displacement and mobility, and cross-border movements complicate response operations and increase the risk of further geographical spread," the WHO said.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

Part of their unofficial relationship homework involves field missions that spark heated conversations about masculine insecurity and Diarra’s conflicted desires about motherhood.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

CIELO, a nonprofit organization that works with Indigenous communities in Los Angeles, found that post-pandemic, one of the biggest challenges facing Indigenous migrant communities in Los Angeles is food insecurity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

She came across as stuck-up at first, I know, but that was just her insecurity.

From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin

But maybe these images also tell us something about his insecurities: his desire to reassure everyone, including himself, that he was still the main man, as fit as he'd ever been.

From BBC ● May 30, 2026

That’s a hard lesson to learn, but most people are dealing with their own private aspirations and insecurities.

From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026

Even though Dr. Becky’s profiting off parents’ insecurities and anxieties still makes me uneasy, I’m glad for my brief dalliance with Good Inside.

From Slate ● May 10, 2026

That stoked his jealousies and insecurities, along with frontman Jagger stealing the spotlight from him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026

Right from the outset, the previous season’s rivalries and hard feelings and insecurities erupted again.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• self-doubt
• uncertainty