Unanchored

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Not secured to a stationary point, causing potential instability
2. Free from any fixed or secure attachment, making it liable to move or drift
3. Lacking a stable point of connection, resulting in the possibility of shifting or displacement

Etymology: "Unanchored" is the past participle of "unanchor," a verb formed in English by adding the prefix "un-" to "anchor." The prefix, which reverses an action or state, produces the sense of having the anchor taken up or not having one set. The anchor it builds on is much older: it traces back through Old English "ancor" and Latin "ancora" to an ancient Greek word, "ankyra," from which the ship's hook also takes its name. The "un-" element is itself an inherited piece of English, descending from an ancient root that also gave rise to Latin and Greek negatives, so the word is a plain English compound built from a very old stock of parts. Its meaning, "not fixed down," stays close to the physical image of a vessel that is not held in place by its anchor.

Synonyms: adrift, floating, unmoored, unsecured, unstable

Antonyms: anchored, secured, stabilized, fixed, rooted