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

Housing costs, especially for renters, have pushed Florida families into financial precariousness more than any other household expense, said United Way of Florida CEO Melissa Nelson. —Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 11 June 2025

Given the federal government’s financial precariousness at the end of the war, this effort failed. —Jamie Rowen, The Conversation, 30 May 2025

Responding to the precariousness of our moment, museums have reified the problem with an unfortunate watchword: relevance. —Eric Crosby, Artforum, 1 May 2025

But instead of recognizing the precariousness of his position, Netanyahu abandoned his characteristic caution, put his faith in Trump without a fallback, and is now left with nowhere else to turn. —Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for precariousness

• gregariousness