Word: Precarious

The Word of the Day from word@m-w.com for Feb 21 is:

precarious \prih-KAIR-ee-us\ adjective

1 : depending on the will or pleasure of another
2 : dependent on uncertain premises : dubious
*3 a : dependent on chance circumstances, unknown conditions, or uncertain developments b : characterized by a lack of security or stability that threatens with danger


Example sentence:
Joanna knows that acting is an economically precarious profession, but she's determined to make her living in the theater.

Did you know?
"This little happiness is so very precarious, that it wholly depends on the will of others." Joseph Addison, in a 1711 issue of Spectator magazine, couldn't have described the oldest sense of "precarious" more precisely — the original meaning of the word was "depending on the will or pleasure of another." Prayers and entreaties directed at that "other" might or might not help. Nowadays we usually think of things precarious as depending on circumstances, rather than people, rendering it necessary to direct our prayers and entreaties to a higher power. What precariousness really hangs on, in the end, is "prex," the Latin word for "prayer." From "prex" came the Latin word "precarius," meaning "obtained by entreaty," from whence came our own adjective "precarious." Anglo-French "priere," from "precarius," gave us "prayer."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence

My sentence:
Because the table legs were of differing lengths, the vase of flowers placed in the table center wobbled precariously.

Comments

[Rose]

My recovery is precarious...