instability

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˌɪnstəˈbɪləti/ UK /ˌɪnstəˈbɪləti/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the state of being unsteady, unreliable, or prone to change

Political instability scared away foreign investors.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the state of being... unsteadiness volatility precariousnessunpredictabilityfluctuation insecurity

Opposites

stability steadiness constancy equilibrium

Word family

Related forms unstable stable stability instable

Etymology

From Old French instabilite, from Latin instabilitas ('unsteadiness'), from instabilis ('unsteady'), from in- ('not') + stabilis ('steady, firm'), from stare ('to stand').

in- Latin stare Latin *sta- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# instability

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌɪnstəˈbɪləti/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌɪnstəˈbɪləti/

## Meanings
1. the state of being unsteady, unreliable, or prone to change

## Examples
- Political instability scared away foreign investors.

## Synonyms
- unsteadiness
- volatility
- precariousness
- unpredictability
- fluctuation
- insecurity

## Antonyms
- stability
- steadiness
- constancy
- equilibrium

## Related Forms
- unstable
- stable
- stability
- instable

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: in-
- Root: stare
- Root: *sta-

## Etymology
From Old French instabilite, from Latin instabilitas ('unsteadiness'), from instabilis ('unsteady'), from in- ('not') + stabilis ('steady, firm'), from stare ('to stand').

## AI Etymology
Instability comes from Old French instabilite, from Latin instabilitas ('unsteadiness'), from instabilis ('unsteady'), from in- ('not') + stabilis ('steady, firm'), from stare ('to stand'). The prefix supplies the first semantic turn, while the base carries the lexical core of the word. As a noun, it denotes "the state of being unsteady, unreliable, or prone to change", keeping the historical idea close to its dictionary sense. Relevant historical forms include Latin in-, Latin stare, and Proto-Indo-European *sta-. Related words include unstable, stable, stability, instable.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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