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

On Sunday, the CAR will hold presidential, legislative, regional and local elections, capping a period of relative calm after years of instability and violence.

From Barron's

Recognizing these states is critical for determining whether a system is operating normally, slowly drifting, or approaching instability.

From Science Daily

Postwar America responded to the instability of the Depression and the war by building a world that promised stability—suburbia.

From The Wall Street Journal

In some ways, early adulthood has always been a time of instability.

From BBC

The central bank’s focus, he said, is how best to set rate policy in a dramatically shifting global landscape, fueled by trade disruptions, the rise of artificial intelligence and geopolitical instability.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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