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Definition of precarious adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

precarious

adjective
 
/prɪˈkeəriəs/
 
/prɪˈkeriəs/
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  1. (of a situation) not safe or certain; dangerous
    • He earned a precarious living as an artist.
    • The museum is in a financially precarious position.
    • The world is a precarious and unstable place.
    • They have a somewhat precarious existence.
    Topics Dangerc2
  2. likely to fall or cause somebody to fall
    • That ladder looks very precarious.
    • The path down to the beach is very precarious in wet weather.
    Topics Difficulty and failurec2
  3. Word Originmid 17th cent.: from Latin precarius ‘obtained by entreaty’ (from prex, prec- ‘prayer’) + -ous.
See precarious in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee precarious in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
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