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.

Four recently published UCLA-led studies draw a direct line between climate disasters, housing instability and homelessness, with researchers pointing to the 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires as one of the starkest recent examples.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

McKechnie - who once said he treats "broken-down athletes who are almost like reclamation projects" - had discovered Hargreaves' knee issues were caused by pelvic instability and therefore got him working to strengthen his core.

From BBC • 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

Now in its sixth week, the war looks likely to create more instability than stability.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

The priest told Farmer stories of the dam, about the chaos and instability it had created almost overnight.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Vocabulary lists containing instability

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