precarious
Americanadjective
-
dependent on circumstances beyond one's control; uncertain; insecure.
a precarious livelihood.
- Synonyms:
- indeterminate, unsure
- Antonyms:
- secure
-
dependent on the will or pleasure of another; liable to be withdrawn or lost at the will of another.
He held a precarious tenure under an arbitrary administration.
- Synonyms:
- undependable, unreliable, dubious, doubtful
- Antonyms:
- reliable
-
exposed to or involving danger; dangerous; perilous; risky.
the precarious life of an underseas diver.
- Synonyms:
- hazardous
- Antonyms:
- safe
-
having insufficient, little, or no foundation.
a precarious assumption.
- Synonyms:
- unfounded, baseless, groundless
- Antonyms:
- well-founded
adjective
-
liable to failure or catastrophe; insecure; perilous
-
archaic dependent on another's will
Related Words
See uncertain.
Other Word Forms
- precariously adverb
- precariousness noun
- superprecarious adjective
- superprecariousness noun
- unprecarious adjective
- unprecariousness noun
Etymology
Origin of precarious
First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin precārius “obtained by entreaty; given as a favor; borrowed; uncertain”; prayer 1
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.
No council has ever won a referendum to raise council tax beyond 5% – although councils in precarious financial positions have been granted special permission to do so by the government, increasingly so in recent years.
From BBC
Both the Sydney attacks and January’s fires showed how precarious life and community can be.
From Los Angeles Times
Carbajal-Ramos, who is the regional representative for centers across the Los Angeles area, said it’s important to meet students where they are and not shy away from the precarious realities they live in.
From Los Angeles Times
But with bighorn in a precarious way, “we just recognize that we need to do everything we can to try to get this animal recovered,” Stephenson said.
From Los Angeles Times
Solar manufacturing has momentum, even if it is precarious.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
