precariousness

noun

pre·​car·​i·​ous·​ness pri-ˈker-ē-əs-nəs 

: the state or condition of being precarious

The noise, the dashing of the waters, … the precariousness of their footing, for there was scarce room for them to stand on the shelf of rock which they had thus attained …

—Sir Walter Scott

… at a time when a single night of predation could ruin a family, wolves were a constant reminder of the precariousness of frontier life.

—Betsy Carpenter and Lisa Busch

… has to keep up an air of high spirits through a daily struggle with his own illiteracy and the precariousness of his employment.

—George Bernard Shaw

His knowledge is fragmentary, his righteousness is illusory, his motives are tainted, but, aware of the precariousness of human striving, he must strive nevertheless.

—Arthur Meier Schlesinger

Synonyms

• insecurity
• instability
• shakiness
• unstableness
• unsteadiness

Examples of precariousness in a Sentence

she quickly moved the china teapot after noticing its precariousness on the shelf

Recent Examples on the Web

The circumstances of his arrest highlight the increasing precariousness of preventing acts of mass violence or domestic terrorism, which often seem to rely on chance encounters or tips from acquaintances and loved ones. —Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 22 Nov. 2024

This is one reason behind the grim precariousness of life in India. —Basharat Peer, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2012

The precariousness of evidence about the childhood abuse is both-sided, instead of contextualized. —Alessa Dominguez, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024

For job seekers, that precariousness has become full-blown. —Rob Wile, NBC News, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined above