precarious

adjective

pre·​car·​i·​ous pri-ˈker-ē-əs 

1

a

: dependent on chance circumstances, unknown conditions, or uncertain developments

… forced to earn a precarious living as a door-to-door salesman.

—Peter Ackroyd

Their wealth was precarious, liable to be seized by the sultan if they fell from favour …

—Albert Hourani

… the resilience of our still-evolving planet, where life is always precarious but always tenacious.

—Robert MacKenzie

b

: characterized by a lack of security or stability that threatens with danger

His balance looks precarious, and I try to talk him down …

—Blake Morrison

In spite of his precarious emotional state, he wrote more than two dozen books …

—Liesl Schillinger

At 82 years old, she was in precarious health and had respiratory problems.

—Annabelle Olivier

… a downturn in food supply could tip a precarious balance.

—Mary Cherry

If the condition of the biosphere is even half as precarious as the environmentalists suggest, then the twenty-first century must, of necessity, abandon the theory of value so lovingly displayed in the windows of Bloomingdale's.

—Lewis H. Lapham

2

: dependent on uncertain premises : dubious

… the student of psychology who cares little for brilliant precarious generalizations …

—Baltimore Medical Journal and Bulletin

3

archaic : depending on the will or pleasure of another

In rank and authority these officers seemed not inferior to the ancient proconsuls; but their station was dependent and precarious.

—Edward Gibbon

Did you know?

"This little happiness is so very precarious, that it wholly depends on the will of others." Joseph Addison, in a 1711 issue of Spectator magazine, couldn't have described the oldest sense of precarious more precisely—the original meaning of the word was "depending on the will or pleasure of another." Precarious comes from a Latin word meaning "obtained by entreaty," which itself is from the word for prayer, prex.

Choose the Right Synonym for precarious

dangerous, hazardous, precarious, perilous, risky mean bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury.

dangerous applies to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully.

soldiers on a dangerous mission

hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure.

claims that smoking is hazardous to your health

precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty.

earned a precarious living by gambling

perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger.

perilous mountain roads

risky often applies to a known and accepted danger.

shied away from risky investments

Examples of precarious in a Sentence

These states are corrupt and brutal. They are theocracies, or precarious autocracies, or secular totalitarian states: tyrannies all, deniers of freedom, republics of fear, enemies of civility and human flourishing. —Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, 15 Oct. 2001

Such folks led a precarious existence, their homes routinely destroyed in pursuit of a scorched earth policy whenever Florence came under siege. —R. W. B. Lewis, Dante, 2001

She was the first baby he had ever held; he had thought it would be a precarious experience, shot through with fear of dropping something so precious and fragile, but no, in even the smallest infant there was an adhesive force, a something that actively fit your arms and hands, banishing the fear. —John Updike, The Afterlife, 1994

He earned a precarious livelihood by gambling.

The strong wind almost knocked him off of his precarious perch on the edge of the cliff.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Yellowstone ranch, the single most important thing in the world of this show, has never been in a more precarious position. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2024

In the ever more precarious House, Republicans will have to avoid any defections until special elections replace the members joining the Trump administration. —Matthew Continetti, National Review, 7 Dec. 2024

But the successive losses of Aleppo and Hama to insurgents and the imminent threat of losing Homs puts Assad in one of the most precarious positions throughout the 13-year conflict. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024

Reality check: Relying more on tips leaves workers in a more precarious position. —Emily Peck, Axios, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin precārius "given as a favor, depending on the pleasure or mercy of others, of questionable force or permanence, uncertain" + -ous — more at prayer entry 1

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 3

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Kids Definition

precarious

adjective

pre·​car·​i·​ous pri-ˈkar-ē-əs 

-ˈker-

1

: depending on unknown conditions or chance events

2

: dangerously lacking in security or steadiness

precarious health

precariously adverb

precariousness noun

Legal Definition

precarious

adjective

pre·​car·​i·​ous pri-ˈkar-ē-əs 

: depending on the will or pleasure of another see also precarious possession at possession