precarious

adjective

pre·​car·​i·​ous pri-ˈker-ē-əs How to pronounce precarious (audio)
1
a
: dependent on chance circumstances, unknown conditions, or uncertain developments
… forced to earn a precarious living as a door-to-door salesman.Peter Ackroyd
Their wealth was precarious, liable to be seized by the sultan if they fell from favour …Albert Hourani
… the resilience of our still-evolving planet, where life is always precarious but always tenacious.Robert MacKenzie
b
: characterized by a lack of security or stability that threatens with danger
His balance looks precarious, and I try to talk him down …Blake Morrison
In spite of his precarious emotional state, he wrote more than two dozen books …Liesl Schillinger
At 82 years old, she was in precarious health and had respiratory problems.Annabelle Olivier
… a downturn in food supply could tip a precarious balance.Mary Cherry
If the condition of the biosphere is even half as precarious as the environmentalists suggest, then the twenty-first century must, of necessity, abandon the theory of value so lovingly displayed in the windows of Bloomingdale's.Lewis H. Lapham
2
: dependent on uncertain premises : dubious
… the student of psychology who cares little for brilliant precarious generalizations …Baltimore Medical Journal and Bulletin
3
archaic : depending on the will or pleasure of another
In rank and authority these officers seemed not inferior to the ancient proconsuls; but their station was dependent and precarious.Edward Gibbon

Did you know?

"This little happiness is so very precarious, that it wholly depends on the will of others." Joseph Addison, in a 1711 issue of Spectator magazine, couldn't have described the oldest sense of precarious more precisely—the original meaning of the word was "depending on the will or pleasure of another." Precarious comes from a Latin word meaning "obtained by entreaty," which itself is from the word for prayer, prex.

Choose the Right Synonym for precarious

dangerous, hazardous, precarious, perilous, risky mean bringing or involving the chance of loss or injury.

dangerous applies to something that may cause harm or loss unless dealt with carefully.

soldiers on a dangerous mission

hazardous implies great and continuous risk of harm or failure.

claims that smoking is hazardous to your health

precarious suggests both insecurity and uncertainty.

earned a precarious living by gambling

perilous strongly implies the immediacy of danger.

perilous mountain roads

risky often applies to a known and accepted danger.

shied away from risky investments

Examples of precarious in a Sentence

These states are corrupt and brutal. They are theocracies, or precarious autocracies, or secular totalitarian states: tyrannies all, deniers of freedom, republics of fear, enemies of civility and human flourishing. Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, 15 Oct. 2001
Such folks led a precarious existence, their homes routinely destroyed in pursuit of a scorched earth policy whenever Florence came under siege. R. W. B. Lewis, Dante, 2001
She was the first baby he had ever held; he had thought it would be a precarious experience, shot through with fear of dropping something so precious and fragile, but no, in even the smallest infant there was an adhesive force, a something that actively fit your arms and hands, banishing the fear. John Updike, The Afterlife, 1994
He earned a precarious livelihood by gambling. The strong wind almost knocked him off of his precarious perch on the edge of the cliff.
Recent Examples on the Web Moctar has used some of the money he’s earned as a musician to build wells in his home village, where access to fresh water is precarious. Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 4 Mar. 2024 But nothing could make up for the time parents would have to spend away from their children, whose lives are precarious and often short. Ted Alcorn Kaiti Sullivan, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Things are precarious all around for West Coast commercial fishermen, who worry about maintaining their working waterfronts. David Helvarg, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 This means all but the most famous writers and producers are already in a precarious financial situation. Elias Leight, Billboard, 15 Feb. 2024 As this becomes more precarious for him, Eli begins to befriend the film’s protagonist, Oskar (Kare Hedebrant), a 12-year-old boy being bullied at school. Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 14 Feb. 2024 The idea was to give the rest of the industry access to its more reliable charging stations at a time when EV charging is a dicey and precarious proposition. Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 12 Feb. 2024 The brutal bonus round comes at a precarious time for Barclays’s investment bank. Jan-Henrik Foerster, Fortune Europe, 9 Feb. 2024 This is why safety — and preventing precarious situations — should be at the forefront of every adventure’s mind when planning a trip. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'precarious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin precārius "given as a favor, depending on the pleasure or mercy of others, of questionable force or permanence, uncertain" + -ous — more at prayer entry 1

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of precarious was in 1626

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Dictionary Entries Near precarious

Cite this Entry

“Precarious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precarious. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

precarious

adjective
pre·​car·​i·​ous pri-ˈkar-ē-əs How to pronounce precarious (audio)
-ˈker-
1
: depending on unknown conditions or chance events
2
: dangerously lacking in security or steadiness
precarious health
precariously adverb
precariousness noun

Legal Definition

precarious

adjective
pre·​car·​i·​ous pri-ˈkar-ē-əs How to pronounce precarious (audio)
: depending on the will or pleasure of another see also precarious possession at possession
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