instability
Americannoun
-
instabilities
plural
-
the quality or state of being unstable; lack of stability or firmness.
-
the tendency to behave in an unpredictable, changeable, or erratic manner.
emotional instability.
noun
-
lack of stability or steadiness
-
tendency to variable or unpredictable behaviour
-
physics a fast growing disturbance or wave in a plasma
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of instability
1375–1425; late Middle English instabilite < Latin instabilitās. See in- 3, stability
Explanation
Instability is the quality of not being stable, balanced, or predictable. If you've ever walked out onto a diving board, you've probably noticed its instability — meaning the board bends and bounces as you move. Instability comes from the Middle French word instabilite, meaning "unsteadiness." Instability can refer to objects that are not stable, but it can also describe unpredictable situations or relationships. For example, you might hear people talk about economic instability. Or if your behavior at school grows erratic and unpredictable, you might be asked to speak to a therapist about your psychological instability.
Vocabulary lists containing instability
Southeast Asia - Middle School
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Southeast Asia - High School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Second Democratic Debate 20 words
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Lagarde is seen among Davos planners as someone who can be a steady, high-profile leader following a period of instability and infighting at the nonprofit organization.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
The researchers argue that this instability may offer a natural route to accelerated cosmic expansion without adding a cosmological constant or invoking dark energy.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026
This instability has also taken a toll on the logistics sector, another key employer in the region.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
The result is a campaign by the network that has the instability of an advertising operation testing different nightmares.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026
There was an instability in the upper atmosphere.
From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd
“We now have shocks that unleash endogenous instabilities that trigger new shocks,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
These persistent instabilities can affect everything from uplift and erosion to inland volcanic patterns, even in regions considered geologically stable.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 25, 2025
When applied to cosmic scales, this suggests that plasma instabilities alone are too weak to account for the missing gamma rays.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 7, 2025
Combining high-speed synchrotron X-ray imaging, theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, the researchers revealed the defect mitigation mechanisms, which involve phenomena that reduce instabilities in the laser powder bed fusion process.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 22, 2024
Our turning away would unleash new instabilities, new dangers around the globe, which, in turn, would threaten our own security.
From State of the Union Address by Gerald R. Ford
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
