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instability

 - 4 dictionary results

in⋅sta⋅bil⋅i⋅ty

  [in-stuh-bil-i-tee]
Use instability in a Sentence
–noun
1. the quality or state of being unstable; lack of stability or firmness.
2. the tendency to behave in an unpredictable, changeable, or erratic manner: emotional instability.
Origin:
1375–1425; late ME instabilite < L instabilitās. See in- 3 , stability
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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in·sta·bil·i·ty   (ĭn'stə-bĭl'ĭ-tē)   
n.   pl. in·sta·bil·i·ties

  1. Lack of physical stability; unsteadiness.

  2. The quality or condition of being erratic or undependable: emotional instability; political instability.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

instability 
c.1422, from M.Fr. instabilite, from L. instabilitatem (nom. instabilitas) "unsteadiness," from instabilis "unsteady," from in- "not" + stabilis (see stable (2)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: in·sta·bil·i·ty
Pronunciation: "in(t)-st&-'bil-&t-E
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ties
: the quality or state of being unstable; especially : lack of emotional or mental stability
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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