lability

[ luh-bil-i-tee, ley- ]

/ ləˈbɪl ɪ ti, leɪ- /

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noun

the fact or quality of being likely to change:The lability of the neuromuscular system during physical therapy was measured in muscle force and reaction times.

Chemistry, Biochemistry. the ability or likelihood of a substance or compound to change or break down easily, rapidly, or continually:It was found that the degree of lability varies considerably with different amido-aldehydes.

Psychiatry. the unregulated or unstable state of emotions or mood, characterized by exaggerated affective expression: They were concerned about his emotional lability, from flaring anger one moment to maudlin sentimentality the next.

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Origin of lability

First recorded in 1550–60 in a different sense; equivalent to Latin lābili(s) “sliding, slipping” (see labile) + -tās -ty²

Words nearby lability

labia majora, labia minora, labiate, Labiche, labile, lability, labilize, labio-, labiodental, labiogression, labionasal

How to use lability in a sentence

Their life seems to be one long series of impulsions, fostered and sustained by the extreme lability of their emotions.
Studies in Forensic Psychiatry|Bernard Glueck
And this, in turn, may be regarded as but a manifestation of the process of survival by lability rather than by stability.
Introduction to the Science of Sociology|Robert E. Park