instability
nounUK /ɪnstəˈbɪlɪti/ · CA, US /ˌɪnstəˈbɪləti/
Etymology From Middle French instabilité, from Latin instabilitas. Morphologically in- + stability.
1
The quality of being unstable.
- The template is [Richard] Nixon’s “madman theory” of diplomatic engagement – shorthand for prompting your adversaries to doubt your sanity and mental instability to the point where they are intimidated into otherwise unlikely concessions.2026 April 8, Robert Tait, “Trump may be using Nixon’s ‘madman theory’ – and similar infamy may await”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 08 Apr 2026:
2
Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics A state that is not in equilibrium, or in which a small change has a large irreversible effect.