noun
Meaning 1
A lack of security; uncertainty.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: insecureness
Antonyms: security
Standard Lemma guide
insecurity
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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CMU ARPABET: IH2 N S IH0 K Y UH1 R IH0 T IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A lack of security; uncertainty.
A lack of confidence in oneself.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: insecureness, self-doubt
Antonyms: security, self-assurance, self-confidence
noun
Meaning 3
A lack of security; uncertainty.
The state of being subject to danger (physical, economic, or otherwise).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
- economic insecurity
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: insecureness, exposure, precariousness, precarity, vulnerability
Antonyms: security, safety
noun
Meaning 4
the anxiety you experience when you feel vulnerable and insecure
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: anxiety
noun
Meaning 5
the state of being subject to danger or injury
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: security
Broader terms: danger
Narrower terms: insecureness
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin īnsēcūritās. By surface analysis, insecure + -ity.
Across languages
Translations
31 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Armenian: անվստահելիություն (anvstaheliutʻyun) — lack of confidence in oneself
- Bulgarian: несигурност (nesigurnost) — lack of confidence in oneself
- Danish: usikkerhed — lack of confidence in oneself
- Dutch: onzekerheid — lack of confidence in oneself
- Finnish: epävarmuus — lack of confidence in oneself
- German: Unsicherheit — lack of confidence in oneself
- Greek: ανασφάλεια (anasfáleia) — lack of confidence in oneself
- Hungarian: bizonytalanság — lack of confidence in oneself
- Icelandic: óöryggi — lack of confidence in oneself
- Irish: easpa muiníne — lack of confidence in oneself
- Japanese: コンプレックス (konpurekkusu) — lack of confidence in oneself
- Polish: niepewność — lack of confidence in oneself
- Portuguese: insegurança — lack of confidence in oneself
- Russian: небезопасность (nebezopasnostʹ) — lack of confidence in oneself
- Russian: комплекс (kompleks) — lack of confidence in oneself
- Swedish: otrygghet — lack of confidence in oneself
- Ukrainian: невпе́вненість (nevpévnenistʹ) — lack of confidence in oneself
- Bulgarian: уязвимост (ujazvimost) — state of being subject to danger
- Dutch: onveiligheid — state of being subject to danger
- Dutch: kwetsbaarheid — state of being subject to danger
- Finnish: turvattomuus — state of being subject to danger
- German: Unsicherheit — state of being subject to danger
- Greek: ανασφάλεια (anasfáleia) — state of being subject to danger
- Hindi: असुरक्षा (asurakṣā) — state of being subject to danger
- Hungarian: bizonytalanság — state of being subject to danger
- Icelandic: óöryggi — state of being subject to danger
- Irish: neamhshábháilteacht — state of being subject to danger
- Portuguese: periculosidade — state of being subject to danger
- Russian: незащищённость (nezaščiščónnostʹ) — state of being subject to danger
- Swedish: osäkerhet — state of being subject to danger
- Ukrainian: незахи́щеність (nezaxýščenistʹ) — state of being subject to danger
Real reading context