MEANING
Inclined to avoid options with uncertain or potentially harmful outcomes.
Use it for
uncertainty-sensitive decisions; preference for safetyTranslate apprehension into a pattern of choices.
Words that belong together
- a risk-averse investor
- risk-averse behavior
- increasingly risk-averse
On the page
The accident made the committee more risk-averse.
A risk-averse investor might accept lower returns for greater predictability.
She was risk-averse about travel but bold in conversation.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- risk-averse
Usage notes
Primary category: fear. Describes decision preferences, not necessarily emotional fear. A risk-averse person can still choose a risky option when alternatives are worse. Gradable with more/most; no inflectional endings normally needed. Derived family (not additional inflections or records): risk aversion.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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