Staunchest

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Showing the highest level of loyalty and firm commitment to a cause or belief
2. Being the most steadfast and unwavering in support or allegiance
3. Exhibiting the greatest endurance in faithfulness and dedication

Etymology: "Staunchest" is the superlative of "staunch," which traces back to Old French "estancher," meaning to stop the flow of a liquid, especially blood. The original image was therefore literal: a staunch thing was one that held back a leak or a flood. Only later did the sense shift from stopping a substance to holding firm against pressure, and then to a person who stays loyal and does not give way. The term is closely related to "stanch," the spelling used for the blood-stopping sense, and both forms come from the same Latin-derived root meaning to dam or stop up. Modern English has kept the two spellings apart in use: "stanch" is now mainly the verb for stopping a flow, while "staunch" describes steadfastness. The adjective is therefore a figurative extension of a practical job that someone once did with a cloth or a dam.

Synonyms: most loyal, most steadfast

Antonyms: weakest, most unfaithful