Definitions for precarious
prɪˈkɛər i əspre·car·i·ous

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. precarious, unstableadjective

   affording no ease or reassurance

   "a precarious truce"

2. parlous, perilous, precarious, touch-and-goadjective

   fraught with danger

   "dangerous waters"; "a parlous journey on stormy seas"; "a perilous voyage across the Atlantic in a small boat"; "the precarious life of an undersea diver"; "dangerous surgery followed by a touch-and-go recovery"

3. precarious, shakyadjective

   not secure; beset with difficulties

   "a shaky marriage"

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. precariousadjective

   dangerously insecure or unstable; perilous

2. precariousadjective

   depending on the intention of another

3. Etymology: From precarius, from prex, precis. Compare French précaire and Spanish, Portuguese and Italian precario.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. PRECARIOUSadjective

   Dependent; uncertain, because depending on the will of another; held by courtesy; changeable or alienable at the pleasure of another. No word is more unskilfully used than this with its derivatives. It is used for uncertain in all its senses; but it only means uncertain, as dependent on others: thus there are authors who mention the precariousness of an account, of the weather, of a die.

   Etymology: precarius, Lat. precaire, Fr.

   What subjects will precarious kings regard,
   A beggar speaks too softly to be heard. Dryden.

   Those who live under an arbitrary tyrannick power, have no other law but the will of their prince, and consequently no privileges but what are precarious. Addison.

   This little happiness is so very precarious, that it wholly depends on the will of others. Joseph Addison, Spectator.

   He who rejoices in the strength and beauty of youth, should consider by how precarious a tenure he holds these advantages, that a thousand accidents may before the next dawn lay all these glories in the dust. John Rogers, Sermons.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. precarious

   The precarium (plural precaria)—or precaria (plural precariae) in the feminine form—is a form of land tenure in which a petitioner (grantee) receives a property for a specific amount of time without any change of ownership. The precarium is thus a free gift made on request (or precarius, whence "prayer") and can be revoked. The grantor can reclaim the land and evict the grantee at any time, and the grantee's hold on the land is said to be "precarious". (The adjectival form "precarial" is also used.) The precarium arose in the late Roman Empire. In the Middle Ages it became a legal fiction, and the two parties usually signed a contract specifying the rent or services owed by the petitioner. Some precaria eventually became hereditary fiefs. In the Merovingian period the feminine form (singular precaria) became common, but in the eighth century the term beneficium began to replace precarium, although the institutions were practically identical.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. precarious

   Precarious generally refers to something that is not securely held or in position, and is dangerously likely to fall or collapse. It can also denote a situation that is uncertain, unstable, or fraught with difficulties and potential risks.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. Precariousadjective

   depending on the will or pleasure of another; held by courtesy; liable to be changed or lost at the pleasure of another; as, precarious privileges

2. Precariousadjective

   held by a doubtful tenure; depending on unknown causes or events; exposed to constant risk; not to be depended on for certainty or stability; uncertain; as, a precarious state of health; precarious fortunes

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:4.0 / 4 votes

1. Precarious

   prē-kā′ri-us, adj. uncertain, because depending upon the will of another: held by a doubtful tenure: depending on chance: dangerous, risky.—adv. Precā′riously.—n. Precā′riousness. [L. precarius—precāri, to pray.]

How to pronounce precarious?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say precarious in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of precarious in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of precarious in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of precarious in a Sentence

1. Mara Aspinall:

   We are at a very, very precarious moment, testing is our only exit strategy out of all of this.

2. Donald Trump:

   Republicans are going to have to ask themselves the question: 'Do we want a candidate who could be tied up in court for two years?' That'd be a big problem, it'd be a very precarious one for Republicans because he'd be running and the courts may take a long time to make a decision. You don't want to be running and have that kind of thing over your head.

3. Simon Tilford:

   So the burden of adjustment... falls squarely on labor, basically on cutting labor costs, that, politically, is a precarious basis for a currency.

4. Jakob Christensen:

   How they look to achieve that growth figure is questionable when foreign inflows are muted at best, the only way to achieve that figure may be through short doses of monetary easing which is quite precarious to do when the economy is in an already fragile condition.

5. Charles Gaudry:

   The rains are exacerbating an already-precarious hygiene situation, while immediate measures are now being put in place to address the cholera outbreak, it is crucial also that proper investment is made on a longer term basis to improve living conditions for refugees and prevent future epidemics.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=precarious
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Precarious
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=precarious
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precarious
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precarious
7. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=precarious