instability

American  

[in-stuh-bil-i-tee] / ˌɪn stəˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

1. the quality or state of being unstable; lack of stability or firmness.

2. the tendency to behave in an unpredictable, changeable, or erratic manner.

   emotional instability.

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instability British  

/ ˌɪnstəˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. lack of stability or steadiness

2. tendency to variable or unpredictable behaviour

3. physics a fast growing disturbance or wave in a plasma

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Etymology

Origin of instability

1375–1425; late Middle English instabilite < Latin instabilitās. See in- ³, stability

Example Sentences

Experts say the trade thrived from the mid-1960s to the 1990s -- a period of instability that saw the anti-intellectual Khmer Rouge regime rise to power and left precious heritage unprotected.

From Barron's

Banks don’t want to be seen using it for fear that doing so might signal instability, an attitude financial regulators have encouraged in recent years.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Given that people are getting poorer and poorer, we're going to see a wave of social instability," he says.

From BBC

Netanyahu has long described Iran as a key threat for Israel, and a source of instability in the region.

From BBC

South Sudan is grappling with new arrivals fleeing the conflict in neighbouring Sudan, while dealing with its own displacement caused by years of conflict, flooding and instability, the IOM said.

From Barron's

Related Words

• anxiety
• fluctuation
• insecurity
• uncertainty
• volatility
• vulnerability
• weakness