instability
English · Thesaurus
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instability
- /ɪnstəˈbɪlɪti/ UK
- /ˌɪnstəˈbɪləti/ Canada, US
- [ˌɪnstəˈbɪləɾi] Canada, US
Rhymes with -ɪlɪti
Where it comes from
From Middle French instabilité, from Latin instabilitas.
Morphologically in- + stability.
noun instabilities
-
The quality of being unstable.
The template is [Richard] Nixon’s “madman theory” of diplomatic engagement – shorthand for prompting your adversaries to doubt your sanity and mental instability to the point where they are intimidated into otherwise unlikely concessions.
Similar: unstability, unstableness, volatility
- A state that is not in equilibrium, or in which a small change has a large irreversible effect.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: unstableness, unbalance, imbalance, unstable, precariousness, uncertainty, lability, unreliability, insecurity, volatility, disorder, chaos, destabilisation, destabilization, unease, disturbance
Translations
Every language
noun quality of being unstable
| Español | inestabilidad |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 不穩定 /不稳定 bù wěndìng, 不穩定性 /不稳定性 bù wěndìng xìng, 不穩固 /不稳固 bù wěngù, 不穩固性 /不稳固性 bù wěngù xìng |
| हिन्दी | असंतुलन asantulan |
| Português | instabilidade |
| Français | instabilité |
| Deutsch | Instabilität |
| Italiano | instabilità, dissesto |
| Русский | нестаби́льность nestabílʹnostʹ, неусто́йчивость neustójčivostʹ, непро́чность nepróčnostʹ, непостоя́нство nepostojánstvo, зы́бкость zýbkostʹ, неуравнове́шенность neuravnovéšennostʹ |
noun physical state
| Español | inestabilidad |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 不穩定 /不稳定 bù wěndìng, 不穩定性 /不稳定性 bù wěndìng xìng, 不穩固 /不稳固 bù wěngù, 不穩固性 /不稳固性 bù wěngù xìng |
| Deutsch | Instabilität |
| Русский | неусто́йчивость neustójčivostʹ, непро́чность nepróčnostʹ |
Talk about this word "instability." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/instability. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. instability. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/instability "instability." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/instability.Cite this
@misc{instability_2026,
title = {instability},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/instability},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
