precarious: Meaning and Definition of

pre•car•i•ous

Pronunciation: (pri-kâr'ē-us), [key]
— adj.
  1. dependent on circumstances beyond one's control; uncertain; unstable; insecure: a precarious livelihood.
  2. dependent on the will or pleasure of another; liable to be withdrawn or lost at the will of another: He held a precarious tenure under an arbitrary administration.
  3. exposed to or involving danger; dangerous; perilous; risky: the precarious life of an underseas diver.
  4. having insufficient, little, or no foundation: a precarious assumption.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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