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

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Etymology

Origin of insecurity

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

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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

Sucdi says many arrive in the city with expectations shaped by years of hearing about the insecurity.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

It was a pervasive sense of financial insecurity worsened by high prices, which are connected to the war but also driven by tariffs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

But sometimes I wonder whether wealthier Americans should trade places with people like me — people like us — even for a little while, to understand what financial insecurity really looks like.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

She says the district’s biggest challenge “is the high percentage of students experiencing housing insecurity, homelessness, and food insecurity.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

Lying was bad, but revealing my own sense of insecurity would have been worse.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Don’t allow your insecurities to overshadow what could be a welcome period of relief after both of you have put in years of hard work.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

But the 35-year-old actor recalls witnessing the stress and insecurities experienced by friends over who had the most followers, or who followed who on social media.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Riffing on the human need for emotional engagement through the arts with such venom is not just a slap in the face; it’s evidence of Iñárritu’s gnawing insecurities.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

She still loves the song – "Torn was a beautiful gift" – but the furore around it fuelled her insecurities.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

I get her insecurities, I guess, and I feel bad for her and her boyfriend if she manages to cheat on him, but I’m not some miracle worker.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera

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Related Words

• self-doubt
• uncertainty

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