precarious

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/prɪˈkeəriəs/
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Unsafe because support is weak or uncertain, whether a ledge may collapse, a livelihood may fail, an argument rests on thin evidence, or an old legal right depends on another's will.
Practice using this word in conversation

Examples

  • The ceasefire remained precarious through the winter.
  • Many workers face precarious employment with no benefits.
  • The company survived in a precarious market position.
  • Such precarious possession could be withdrawn at will.
  • The officer's precarious authority depended on royal favor.

Similar words

weak
revocable
conditional
rickety
dependent
risky
insecure
unsupported
uncertain
shaky

Meanings

Dangerously unstable

adjective
physical
neutral
Not securely held, balanced, or supported, so that falling, slipping, or collapse is a real risk.

Usage

Use precarious for a physical position or object that feels unsafe because it is poorly balanced or weakly supported.

Examples

  • The precarious ladder shook under his weight.
  • She balanced on a precarious ledge above the river.
  • A vase sat on the precarious stack of books.
  • The old balcony looked too precarious to trust.
  • One wheel rested at a precarious angle.
  • The climber searched for a less precarious foothold.

Common mistakes

The word is sometimes used for any danger, but this sense needs physical instability or insecure support.
IncorrectCorrect
The precarious storm delayed the ferry. The dangerous storm delayed the ferry.
The ladder was precarious safely against the wall. The ladder was secure against the wall.
He stood on a precarious. He stood on a precarious ledge.

Similar words

unstable
shaky
rickety
wobbly
insecure
unsafe

Insecure or uncertain

adjective
everyday
neutral
Dependent on unstable conditions, making failure, loss, or harm possible.

Usage

Use precarious for jobs, health, finances, peace, or living conditions that could worsen because their support is fragile.

Examples

  • Their precarious finances made every bill stressful.
  • He returned to work while his health was still precarious.
  • The ceasefire remained precarious through the winter.
  • Many workers face precarious employment with no benefits.
  • The company survived in a precarious market position.
  • A drought left the village in a precarious situation.

Common mistakes

It is often flattened into risky, but precarious stresses insecurity and uncertainty.
IncorrectCorrect
The precarious plan was bold and exciting. The risky plan was bold and exciting.
Her job is precarious with a permanent contract and strong protections. Her job is secure with a permanent contract and strong protections.
They live in a precarious of money. They live in a precarious financial situation.

Similar words

insecure
uncertain
unstable
risky
fragile
vulnerable

Weakly founded or doubtful

adjective
academic
formal
Resting on uncertain evidence, weak reasoning, or doubtful assumptions.

Usage

Use precarious for an argument, theory, or conclusion whose support is too thin to bear much weight.

Examples

  • The theory rests on a precarious assumption.
  • Her argument became precarious once the data changed.
  • The report drew a precarious conclusion from one interview.
  • Their legal case had a precarious evidential base.
  • The prediction looks precarious without better figures.
  • He built a precarious generalization from a tiny sample.

Common mistakes

The word should point to weak foundations, not merely to a claim that is unpopular or surprising.
IncorrectCorrect
That precarious idea is popular with everyone. That popular idea is accepted by everyone.
The conclusion is precarious on little evidence. The conclusion rests on little evidence.
A precarious evidence supports the theory. Precarious evidence supports the theory.

Similar words

dubious
weak
unsound
unfounded
questionable
unsupported

Dependent on another's will

adjective
legal
archaic
Held only by another person's favor or permission, and therefore liable to be withdrawn.

Usage

Use precarious in this older legal or historical sense for status, tenure, or possession that depends on someone else's will.

Examples

  • The officer's precarious authority depended on royal favor.
  • The tenant held a precarious right to the land.
  • Such precarious possession could be withdrawn at will.
  • The charter left the town in a precarious legal position.
  • A favor-based grant was precarious by nature.
  • The old statute described a precarious tenure.

Common mistakes

This older sense is often mistaken for the modern meaning of physically dangerous or generally risky.
IncorrectCorrect
The precarious tenant owned the land absolutely. The tenant held the land at the lord's pleasure.
A precarious grant can never be withdrawn. A precarious grant may be withdrawn.
The king gave a precarious forever right. The king gave a revocable right.

Similar words

dependent
conditional
revocable
contingent
uncertain

Usage

Use precarious when the danger comes from unstable support, uncertain conditions, weak grounds, or dependence on someone else's favor.

Common mistakes

Risky is broader, while precarious points to insecurity, instability, or weak support.

Etymology

From Latin precarius, meaning obtained by entreaty or dependent on another's favor, from prex, meaning prayer or request.

FAQ

What does precarious mean?

Precarious means unsafe or uncertain because support is weak, unstable, or dependent on chance or another person's will.

Can precarious describe money or work?

Yes. Precarious finances or employment are insecure and could fail or worsen.

Is precarious the same as risky?

Not exactly. Risky means involving danger, while precarious adds the idea of weak support or uncertainty.

What is a precarious position?

It can be a physically unstable place, an insecure life situation, or a status that depends on fragile support.

What is the origin of precarious?

It comes from Latin precarius, meaning obtained by entreaty or dependent on favor.

What are synonyms of precarious?

Common synonyms include unstable, insecure, shaky, uncertain, dubious, and risky.

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