Fickleness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The trait of being unpredictable and unstable in feelings or actions is often reflected in shifting alliances or attachments
2. A characteristic marked by inconsistency and capriciousness can lead to altering commitments and preferences frequently
3. The quality of changing one’s feelings or loyalties frequently and without warning

Etymology: "Fickleness" is a straightforward formation: it joins "fickle" and the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun naming a quality. The suffix is old in English, and the combination shows up in Middle English as "fikelnesse," so the noun has been around for centuries in much the same shape it has today. The more interesting part is the adjective it rests on. "Fickle" came into Middle English from an Old English root, and its earliest sense leaned toward deceit or trickery rather than simply changing one's mind. Over time the meaning softened into the idea of inconstancy in affection, opinion, or mood, which is the sense "fickleness" now carries.

Synonyms: capriciousness, inconstancy, unpredictability, changeability, whimsicality

Antonyms: steadfastness, constancy, reliability