inconstans

Inconstans is a Latin adjective meaning not constant, changeable, or unstable. It is formed from the prefix in- meaning not and constans, the present participle of constare “to stand firm.” The sense is that something does not remain fixed or steadfast.

In classical and medieval texts, inconstans describes changing states such as weather, fortune, opinions, loyalties, or moral dispositions. The related noun inconstancy (Latin inconstantia) denotes variability or a lack of constancy. The term appears in scholarly and rhetorical contexts to contrast constancy with fluctuation or unreliability.

In English, inconstans is largely encountered as an archaic or scholarly loanword, with the more common forms inconstant or inconstancy prevailing in modern usage. It may appear in discussions of philosophy, theology, or classical literature when quoting or translating Latin sources, particularly in analyses of virtue and vice, fate, or human temperament.

Modern references to inconstans are primarily literary, historical, or philological. The term is typically not used in everyday language, where synonyms such as fickle, variable, or unstable are preferred. For readers encountering inconstans, it signals an emphasis on changeability rather than a fixed state.

See also: inconstancy, fickleness, variability, stability.