First published 1916; not yet revised

steadinessnoun

Etymology
Meaning & use
Pronunciation
Frequency

Quotations

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Factsheet

What does the noun steadiness mean?

There are eight meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun steadiness, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

steadiness has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

military (mid 1600s) horses and riding (1830s)

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

See meaning & use

How common is the noun steadiness?

About 0.5occurrences per million words in modern written English

1750	3.7
1760	4.1
1770	4.1
1780	4.5
1790	4.5
1800	4.5
1810	4.4
1820	4.3
1830	4.2
1840	4.0
1850	3.7
1860	3.4
1870	3.1
1880	2.8
1890	2.4
1900	2.1
1910	1.9
1920	1.6
1930	1.3
1940	1.1
1950	0.93
1960	0.77
1970	0.65
1980	0.57
1990	0.5
2000	0.46
2010	0.46

See frequency

How is the noun steadiness pronounced?

British English

/ˈstɛdɪnɪs/

See pronunciation

Where does the noun steadiness come from?

Earliest known use

mid 1500s

The earliest known use of the noun steadiness is in the mid 1500s.

OED's earliest evidence for steadiness is from 1530, in the writing of John Palsgrave, teacher and scholar of languages.

steadiness is formed within English, by derivation.

Etymons: steady adj., ‑ness suffix.

See etymology

Nearby entries

steadfastship, n.c1320
steadful, adj.1585–1664
steadful, v.a1300
stead holder, n.c1485
stead-holding, n.c1480
stead-horse, n.1708–
Steadicam, n.1977–
steadier, n.1864–
steadily, adv.1540–
steadiment, n.1817–
steadiness, n.1530–
steading, n.1472–
steadite, n.1902–
steadless, adj.c1425
stead-man, n.1609–1894
stead mother, n.1591
steads bearing, n.c1460
steadship, n.1532
steadsman, n.1876–
stead-stathelfastness, n.?c1225
steadward, n.1876

Browse more nearby entries

Etymology

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Entry history for steadiness, n.

steadiness, n. was first published in 1916; not yet revised.

steadiness, n. was last modified in September 2023.

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into steadiness, n. in September 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1916)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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View steadiness in OED Second Edition

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Chicago

Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .

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MLA9

“” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, , .

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Citation details

Factsheet for steadiness, n.

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Nearby entries

steadfastship, n.c1320
steadful, adj.1585–1664
steadful, v.a1300
stead holder, n.c1485
stead-holding, n.c1480
stead-horse, n.1708–
Steadicam, n.1977–
steadier, n.1864–
steadily, adv.1540–
steadiment, n.1817–
steadiness, n.1530–
steading, n.1472–
steadite, n.1902–
steadless, adj.c1425
stead-man, n.1609–1894
stead mother, n.1591
steads bearing, n.c1460
steadship, n.1532
steadsman, n.1876–
stead-stathelfastness, n.?c1225
steadward, n.1876

Browse more nearby entries