What does Unstable mean?

Definitions for Unstable
ʌnˈsteɪ bəlun·sta·ble

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Unstable.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. unstableadjective

    lacking stability or fixity or firmness

    "unstable political conditions"; "the tower proved to be unstable in the high wind"; "an unstable world economy"

  2. unstableadjective

    highly or violently reactive

    "sensitive and highly unstable compounds"

  3. precarious, unstableadjective

    affording no ease or reassurance

    "a precarious truce"

  4. mentally ill, unsound, unstableadjective

    suffering from severe mental illness

    "of unsound mind"

  5. unstableadjective

    disposed to psychological variability

    "his rather unstable religious convictions"

  6. fluid, unstableadjective

    subject to change; variable

    "a fluid situation fraught with uncertainty"; "everything was unstable following the coup"

Wiktionary

  1. unstableadjective

    having a strong tendency to change

  2. unstableadjective

    fluctuating; not constant

  3. unstableadjective

    fickle

  4. unstableadjective

    unpredictable

  5. unstableadjective

    Readily decompasable

  6. unstableadjective

    Radioactive, especially with a short half-life

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Unstableadjective

    Etymology: instabilis, Lat.

    Where gentry, title, wisdom,
    Cannot conclude by the yea and no
    Of gen’ral ignorance, it must omit
    Real necessities, and give way the while
    T’ unstable slightness. William Shakespeare, Coriolanus.

    A popular state not founded on the general interests of the people, is of all others the most uncertain, unstable, and subject to the most easy changes. William Temple.

    Thus air was void of light, and earth unstable. Dryden.

    See harness’d steeds desert the stony town,
    And wander roads unstable, not their own. John Gay.

    A double-minded man is unstable. James i. 8.

Wikipedia

  1. unstable

    In dynamical systems instability means that some of the outputs or internal states increase with time, without bounds. Not all systems that are not stable are unstable; systems can also be marginally stable or exhibit limit cycle behavior. In structural engineering, a structural beam or column can become unstable when excessive compressive load is applied. Beyond a certain threshold, structural deflections magnify stresses, which in turn increases deflections. This can take the form of buckling or crippling. The general field of study is called structural stability. Atmospheric instability is a major component of all weather systems on Earth.

ChatGPT

  1. unstable

    Unstable refers to a state or condition that is not fixed, firm or steady, prone to change, fail or collapse, or lacks determination or emotional steadiness. This term can be used to describe various situations, substances, physical or psychological conditions, or systems that are susceptible to erratic behavior or sudden changes.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Unstableadjective

    not stable; not firm, fixed, or constant; subject to change or overthrow

Wikidata

  1. Unstable

    Unstable is Adema's second and also final album to feature its original lineup with Chavez and Ransom departing from the band after its release and then again after their reunion. It was released on August 12, 2003. It has sold about 400,000 copies worldwide. Its radio single was the self-titled song "Unstable", which also had a music video, but it didn't get very much radio play. Many songs relied more on instrumentation and harmony instead of distortion in comparison to their previous album, but the album also has some of the band's most aggressive work. It was less successful than their first album, debuting at number 43 on the Billboard 200 before quickly falling off the chart.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Unstable

    un-stā′bl, adj. not stable, unreliable, infirm, inconstant: in such a physical state that the slightest change induces further change of form or composition.—ns. Unstabil′ity, Unstā′bleness.

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Unstable in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Unstable in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of Unstable in a Sentence

  1. Rashad Robinson:

    Policing is a violent institution that must end, we imagine a country where there is enough money to educate our children, care for our sick and feed those who are financially unstable. Defunding the police allows for this vision.

  2. Michael Ulrich:

    Our view was that the world is an unstable place before the vote because of levels of debt, asset values and the policies of central banks, if you have a view the system is already broken, you have to have a portfolio that is going to be resilient when challenges come.

  3. Sheena Greitens:

    In early June 2018, I became afraid for my safety and that of our children at our home, which was fairly isolated, due to Eric's unstable and coercive behavior, this behavior included physical violence toward our children, such as cuffing our then three-year-old son across the face at the dinner table in front of me and yanking him around by his hair.

  4. Saint Jerome:

    An unstable pilot steers a leaking ship, and the blind is leading the blind straight to the pit. The ruler is like the ruled.

  5. Nick Clegg:

    If they try to stagger through with a messy and unstable minority government instead of putting the country first then they will risk all the hard work and sacrifices people have made over the last five years, the last thing Britain needs is a second election before Christmas. But that is exactly what will happen if (Labour leader) Ed Miliband and David Cameron put their own political interest ahead of the national interest.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Unstable#10000#10488#100000

Translations for Unstable

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"Unstable." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 5 Nov. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Unstable>.

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