What does precarious mean?
Precarious describes something whose security, stability, or outcome is uncertain. It is often used for physical situations, such as a dangerous position or a difficult climb, but it also applies to financial, professional, political, and personal circumstances that could easily become worse. The word carries a serious but not necessarily catastrophic implication: a precarious situation is insecure, vulnerable, and dependent on factors that may change. For example, a business can be in a precarious financial position, while a traveler may be standing on a precarious ledge. Precarious is more forceful and formal than simply uncertain, and it often suggests that action or caution is needed. Its related forms include the adverb precariously and the noun precariousness.
adjectiveUncertain, unstable, or unsafe because it is not securely established. A precarious situation may deteriorate suddenly, while a precarious position involves a risk of falling, failure, or loss.
- Uncertain, unstable, or unsafe; liable to fail or deteriorate.
"The climbers secured themselves before attempting the precarious ascent."
"The company is in a precarious financial position after losing several major clients."
"She moved carefully along the precarious ledge above the river."
Precarious comes from a word associated with prayer: its original idea was a fate held in the balance of a request to a higher power.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does precarious come from?
The English word comes from the Latin adjective praecarius, meaning “uncertain” or “depending on prayer or chance.” That form is related to precari, “to pray, beseech, or entreat,” and precatorius, “of or relating to prayer.” English borrowed the word in the early 17th century, initially with senses connected with prayer or asking, before its modern sense of being unsafe or uncertain became established. Precatory and deprecatory belong to the same Latin verbal family.
Related word forms
How precarious is actually used
Common in formal and professional writing as well as ordinary speech. It can describe physical danger, instability, or an outcome that is difficult to predict, and often implies that the situation is insecure but not necessarily already disastrous.
Easily confused with precarious
Precious means highly valued or cherished, whereas precarious means uncertain, unstable, or unsafe.