steadiness C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈstɛdinəs/ UK /ˈstɛdinəs/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun the quality of being firm, stable, and constant The surgeon's steadiness of hand was remarkable under pressure. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · the quality of being firm,... stabilityfirmnessconstancysteadfastnessbalancecomposurereliability ↔ Opposites instabilityunsteadinessshakinesswobbliness Word family Related forms steadystead Etymology AI details From 'steady' (from 'stead', a place, with the adjectival sense of fixed in place) plus the noun-forming suffix '-ness'. stede Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # steadiness **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈstɛdinəs/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈstɛdinəs/ ## Meanings 1. the quality of being firm, stable, and constant ## Examples - The surgeon's steadiness of hand was remarkable under pressure. ## Synonyms - stability - firmness - constancy - steadfastness - balance - composure - reliability ## Antonyms - instability - unsteadiness - shakiness - wobbliness ## Related Forms - steady - stead ## Roots and Affixes - Root: stede ## Etymology From 'steady' (from 'stead', a place, with the adjectival sense of fixed in place) plus the noun-forming suffix '-ness'. ## AI Etymology Steadiness is from 'steady' (from 'stead', a place, with the adjectival sense of fixed in place) plus the noun-forming suffix '-ness'. Important recorded forms include stede (Old English). Morphologically, the native -ness suffix turns an adjective or quality word into an abstract noun naming the state or condition. The semantic development is already visible in the history: an older concrete or specialized use was extended into the modern meaning rather than replaced by a separate origin. In current use it covers the quality of being firm, stable, and constant. The wider family includes related words such as steady and stead. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown