instability

[in-stuh-bil-i-tee] / ˌɪn stəˈbɪl ɪ ti /

NOUN

imbalance, inconstancy

Synonyms

STRONGEST

anxiety fluctuation insecurity uncertainty volatility vulnerability weakness

STRONG

alternation capriciousness changeability changeableness disequilibrium disquiet fickleness fitfulness flightiness fluidity frailty hesitation immaturity impermanence inconsistency inquietude irregularity irresolution mutability oscillation pliancy precariousness restlessness shakiness transience unpredictability unreliability unsteadiness vacillation variability wavering

WEAK

unfixedness

Antonyms

STRONG

calm

WEAK

balance constancy soundness stability steadfastness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Shaping the terms of instability can be more advantageous.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Second, private-credit funds do little of the maturity transformation that lies at the heart of banking instability.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

However, because of the molecule's extreme instability, no one had been able to directly observe it in such conditions.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026

"For the past five decades, we both have been facing instability in our countries in the form of refugees," Durrani says.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

The aim was to create a communications system that would go across multiple networks, making it less vulnerable to attack or instability.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Vocabulary lists containing instability

Southeast Asia - Middle School

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Southeast Asia - High School

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Second Democratic Debate 20 words

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