precarious quality

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "precarious quality" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation or condition that is unstable, uncertain, or risky in nature. Example: "The precarious quality of the bridge raised concerns among the engineers about its safety."

✓ Grammatically correct

Social issues

Public services

Housing

Cultural conversation

Water quality

Art

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

In the wake of the fiscal crisis, the economic depression and the collapse of the state came the social effects: the decrease in the already precarious quality of public services – dramatically impacting on healthcare, as the Zika epidemic has so horrifyingly shown – mirrored by increases in unemployment and violence.

The Guardian - Books

The reasons for this vulnerability cluster are the age and precarious quality of the housing, accompanied by social issues: massive deindustrialization, high unemployment, and other associated factors.

International Journal of Disaster Risk Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Like the political discourse, the cultural conversation is increasingly dominated by horse-race reporting, which, entertaining though it can be, ultimately threatens the only force able to preserve the always precarious artistic quality of movies, music and all our other down-and-dirty and exalted pleasures: an independent audience.

The New York Times - Magazine

What's really needed is to make life better for ordinary, everyday people living in precarious and poor-quality private rented sector (PRS) accommodation.

The Guardian - Opinion

The receiving water bodies and drains carry precarious industrial effluents which affect the quality of water and aquatic ecosystem and human life (Singh et al. 2016; Mishra et al. 2016; Kumar et al. 2013, 2014a, b, 2015a, b).

Applied Water Science

BALTIMORE--A glut of nitrogen washing over the land from car and factory exhaust and crop fertilizers is degrading water and air quality and even altering precarious balances in species diversity.

Science Magazine

David O. Russell put a human face on the Iraqi citizens while showing Americans in a precarious and less than heroic light, qualities that many Americans at this time don't want to recognize.

The New York Times

And here the Ballet West women negotiated the exposure and challenge of Petipa's choreography with a quality both hard-boiled and precarious that forced the danciness of the earlier sections to evaporate.

The New York Times - Arts

Economic measurements and forecasts are one thing, whose accuracy is precarious for many well-known reasons, the quality of the living environment is quite another for China.

Bandung: Journal of the Global South

By 2006, her works were commanding "the upper end of the price spectrum", though the resale values of those of her works not sold through Papunya Tula artists were considered precarious, owing to such works being of variable quality.

Wikipedia

The negative effects of precarious work on safety at work and the quality of service provision are well-known [ 8, 9].

Human Resources for Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "precarious quality", ensure the context clearly indicates what specific aspects of the quality are unstable or at risk. Be specific rather than using the phrase in a vague sense.

Common error

Avoid using "precarious quality" excessively in highly formal or technical writing. While grammatically correct, more precise and technical terms might be more suitable depending on your audience.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "precarious quality" functions as an adjective-noun combination where the adjective "precarious" modifies the noun "quality". As Ludwig AI confirms, this is correct and usable in written English. The phrase acts as a descriptor, indicating a state of instability or uncertainty concerning a specific attribute or characteristic.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

33%

Wiki

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "precarious quality" is a grammatically correct phrase used to describe an unstable or uncertain state of quality. As Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is appropriate for use, though it appears relatively infrequently. It most commonly appears in News & Media and Scientific contexts. While its meaning is clear, writers should consider the level of formality required by their audience and choose alternative phrases like "unstable quality" or "fragile quality" if greater precision or a more formal tone is desired. Ensuring clarity and specificity in describing the specific attributes at risk is key to effective usage. The phrase has a neutral to formal register; therefore, be cautious about overuse in informal settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unstable quality

Replaces "precarious" with "unstable", emphasizing the lack of stability in the quality.

fragile quality

Substitutes "precarious" with "fragile", highlighting the delicacy and vulnerability of the quality.

tenuous quality

Uses "tenuous" instead of "precarious", suggesting a weak or uncertain quality.

uncertain quality

Replaces "precarious" with "uncertain", focusing on the lack of certainty in the quality.

risky quality

Substitutes "precarious" with "risky", emphasizing the potential for negative outcomes related to the quality.

dubious quality

Uses "dubious" instead of "precarious", suggesting a questionable or doubtful quality.

questionable quality

Similar to "dubious quality", this highlights the uncertainty and doubt surrounding the quality.

compromised quality

Suggests that the quality has been negatively affected or weakened.

vulnerable quality

Indicates that the quality is susceptible to damage or decline.

shaky quality

Implies an unstable or unreliable quality.

FAQs

How can I use "precarious quality" in a sentence?

You can use "precarious quality" to describe something whose quality is unstable or uncertain. For example, "The "precarious quality" of the bridge raised concerns among the engineers."

What's a good alternative to "precarious quality"?

Depending on the specific nuance you want to convey, you could use phrases like "unstable quality", "fragile quality", or "tenuous quality".

Is it appropriate to use "precarious quality" in formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "precarious quality" might be considered less formal than more technical alternatives, like "compromised quality", depending on the context and audience.

What does "precarious" mean in the context of "precarious quality"?

In this context, "precarious" means uncertain, unstable, or risky. It suggests that the "quality" being described is in a vulnerable state and could easily decline or be lost.