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
Yet today, rising geopolitical instability and a wave of economic nationalism threaten to disrupt the free flows of energy the system relies on — all at a moment when cheaper, cleaner alternatives are available.
—
John Kerry, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2025
The post 9/11 blunders in which Cheney played a part can be tied to the rise of ISIS, perennial instability in the Middle East, the migrant crisis and the crushing debt burden ($38 trillion and counting) that looms over the US economy.
—Ben Wedeman, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
That federal investigation found pilot fatigue and plane instability as factors in the crash.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 5 Nov. 2025
This could result in small fluctuations in the current of these jets that generate magnetic fields that cause further instability.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instability
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John Kerry, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2025
The post 9/11 blunders in which Cheney played a part can be tied to the rise of ISIS, perennial instability in the Middle East, the migrant crisis and the crushing debt burden ($38 trillion and counting) that looms over the US economy.
—Ben Wedeman, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
That federal investigation found pilot fatigue and plane instability as factors in the crash.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 5 Nov. 2025
This could result in small fluctuations in the current of these jets that generate magnetic fields that cause further instability.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 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 11 Nov. 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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