inconstant

adjective

in·​con·​stant (ˌ)in-ˈkän(t)-stənt How to pronounce inconstant (audio)
: likely to change frequently without apparent or cogent reason
inconstantly adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for inconstant

inconstant, fickle, capricious, mercurial, unstable mean lacking firmness or steadiness (as in purpose or devotion).

inconstant implies an incapacity for steadiness and an inherent tendency to change.

an inconstant friend

fickle suggests unreliability because of perverse changeability and incapacity for steadfastness.

performers discover how fickle fans can be

capricious suggests motivation by sudden whim or fancy and stresses unpredictability.

an utterly capricious critic

mercurial implies a rapid changeability in mood.

made anxious by her boss's mercurial temperament

unstable implies an incapacity for remaining in a fixed position or steady course and applies especially to a lack of emotional balance.

too unstable to hold a job

Examples of inconstant in a Sentence

the inconstant nature of the business our windjammer sailed wherever the inconstant winds took us
Recent Examples on the Web The key finding is that as the distance grows greater, the coupling stops growing, and the inconstant constant becomes constant once more. Stanley J. Brodsky, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024 Energy experts have been warning that electricity is likely to get more expensive and less reliable unless renewable power that waxes and wanes under inconstant sunlight and wind is backed up by generators that can run whenever needed. IEEE Spectrum, 9 May 2024 In March, Johnson ordered the first national lockdown, caught COVID, and later spent three nights in the I.C.U. For months, the country staggered from one set of restrictions to the next—a reflection of Johnson’s inconstant attitude toward the virus. Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 Song as a different kind of time, as heroin became her own inconstant clock. Elizabeth Barber, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for inconstant 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inconstant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin inconstant-, inconstans, from in- + constant-, constans constant

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inconstant was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near inconstant

Cite this Entry

“Inconstant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inconstant. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

inconstant

adjective
in·​con·​stant (ˈ)in-ˈkän(t)-stənt How to pronounce inconstant (audio)
: likely to change frequently without apparent reason : changeable

Medical Definition

inconstant

adjective
in·​con·​stant ˈin-ˈkän(t)-stənt How to pronounce inconstant (audio)
: not always present
an inconstant muscle
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