Unstablest

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterizing the most prone to change or lack of stability in comparison to others
2. Describing the highest degree of insecurity or volatility when contrasted with other states or conditions
3. Indicating the greatest susceptibility to fluctuation or disorder relative to similar entities or situations

Etymology: "Unstablest" is the superlative of "unstable," so it is built on the adjective rather than having a history of its own. "Unstable" is formed from the prefix "un-," meaning "not," attached to "stable." That adjective came into Middle English from Anglo-Norman "stable," which was borrowed from Latin "stabilis," meaning firm or steady, a derivative of "stare," to stand. The Latin root reaches back to the idea of standing still. An object that stands firmly on its base is steady, and "stable" carried that physical sense before it described people or conditions. "Unstable" follows the same pattern: something that cannot stand firm and tends to tip or shift. The superlative "unstablest" adds the ending "-est" to mark the greatest degree of that quality, as with "stablest" or "steadiest."

Synonyms: most unstable, most unsteady, most insecure, most precarious, most volatile

Antonyms: most stable, most steady, most secure, most firm, most fixed