instability
noun
in·sta·bil·i·ty
ˌin(t)-stə-ˈbi-lə-tē 
: the quality or state of being unstable
especially
: lack of emotional or mental stability
Examples of instability in a Sentence
Investors are worried about the current instability of the stock market.
The patient has a history of emotional instability.
Recent Examples on the Web
Recent developments in Sudan's bloody civil war have left one of Africa's largest nations split in two, entrenching two factions that have both been accused of widespread abuses and threatening to spread further instability across the region.
—
Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
That legal instability, combined with the slow pace of public funding, has created a paralyzing climate.
—Caio Delcolli, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2025
In the second, changes in inertia and viscosity created a similar instability, and participants reported that both situations felt alike.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Nov. 2025
Over the past decade, private capital inflows into the defense sector have risen more than eighteen-fold—reflecting a shift driven by geopolitical instability, digitization of the battlefield, and the recognition that public procurement systems alone cannot deliver capability at the speed required.
—Alexandrine Armstrong-Cerfontaine, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instability
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Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
That legal instability, combined with the slow pace of public funding, has created a paralyzing climate.
—Caio Delcolli, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2025
In the second, changes in inertia and viscosity created a similar instability, and participants reported that both situations felt alike.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Nov. 2025
Over the past decade, private capital inflows into the defense sector have risen more than eighteen-fold—reflecting a shift driven by geopolitical instability, digitization of the battlefield, and the recognition that public procurement systems alone cannot deliver capability at the speed required.
—Alexandrine Armstrong-Cerfontaine, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instability
Cite this Entry
“Instability.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instability. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
instability
noun
in·sta·bil·i·ty
ˌin(t)-stə-ˈbil-ət-ē
: the quality or state of being unstable
Medical Definition
instability
noun
in·sta·bil·i·ty
ˌin(t)-stə-ˈbil-ət-ē
plural instabilities
: the quality or state of being unstable
especially
: lack of emotional or mental stability
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