precarity
noun
pre·car·i·ty
pri-ˈker-ə-tē 
: the state or condition of being precarious : precariousness
The older brother—Dave—raises the younger one, a responsibility that gives him a perpetual sense of life's urgency and precarity.—
Paul Elie
Paul ElieJob precarity can add to a number of social and economic challenges facing millennials including rising personal debts, growing costs of living, shrinking access to pensions and lower retirement savings.—Arif Jetha
Arif JethaExamples of precarity in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
What was once called the petite bourgeoisie, then, was key to his support—not people feeling the brunt of economic precarity but people feeling the possibility of it.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
Reem and Sunny are terrified by the precarity of their position.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2024
Soho House, which has recently been fending off suggestions of financial precarity, is most likely banking on this crowd to join.
—Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024
The precarity of romance is on Musgraves’ mind because … well, really, the idea is never not on her mind.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
The recent death of activist Alexei Navalny in a Russian penal colony only underscored the precarity of their situation—and negated the possibility of a prisoner exchange that could have included all three, Charlotte reports.
—TIME, 7 Mar. 2024
Clearly sensing the precarity of the moment, the White House called a press conference at which Biden forcefully disputed Hur’s characterization.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2024
This can lead not just to economic precarity but also to food insecurity, health complications, and more.
—Courtney E. Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Feb. 2024
Such precarity is certainly a fear many people live with, but horror generally starts from the premise that the vibes are off, not the fact that someone anticipated that unraveling.
—Stephen Kearse, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2024
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
Reem and Sunny are terrified by the precarity of their position.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2024
Soho House, which has recently been fending off suggestions of financial precarity, is most likely banking on this crowd to join.
—Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024
The precarity of romance is on Musgraves’ mind because … well, really, the idea is never not on her mind.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
The recent death of activist Alexei Navalny in a Russian penal colony only underscored the precarity of their situation—and negated the possibility of a prisoner exchange that could have included all three, Charlotte reports.
—TIME, 7 Mar. 2024
Clearly sensing the precarity of the moment, the White House called a press conference at which Biden forcefully disputed Hur’s characterization.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2024
This can lead not just to economic precarity but also to food insecurity, health complications, and more.
—Courtney E. Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Feb. 2024
Such precarity is certainly a fear many people live with, but horror generally starts from the premise that the vibes are off, not the fact that someone anticipated that unraveling.
—Stephen Kearse, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'precarity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near precarity
Cite this Entry
“Precarity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precarity. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share