precariously
/pɹɪˈkeɹiəsli/prih-KEH-ree-uh-slee
UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked/pɹɪˈkɛɹiəsli/prih-KEH-ree-uh-slee
Meaningin a precarious way
Common meaning: unsteadily, at risk
Tap a word part to explore
- precto pray, entreatLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1439 · scan
- aradjective or noun ending: of, belonging to
- iousadjective ending: full of, marked by
- lyadverb ending: in a way
Journey through time
- Latinprecor‘to pray, entreat’
- Englishprecarious‘uncertain, unsafe (once granted only by asking)’
- Englishformed in English from precariousprecariously‘unsteadily, at risk’ · today
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Formed in English from precarious + -ly.
Dictionary: Skeat (1898), PRECARIOUS, p.462 · scan
Roots
- precor Latin “to pray, entreat”
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