rudderless

[ ruhd-er-lis ]

adjective

1. (of a boat, ship, or aircraft) lacking a rudder, the device or structure used to change direction and steer:

   I love the story of Columba, a priest in sixth-century Ireland, who got into a rudderless boat and let God and providence take him where he was meant to be.

2. lacking purpose, leadership, moral principles, or anything else that might provide direction; aimless:

   The people are drifting and rudderless, without a vision to unify and motivate them and without a shared set of values.

Word History and Origins

Origin of rudderless¹

rudder ( def ) + -less ( def )

Example Sentences

But behind the complex political wrangling, Europe’s most powerful economy has been left rudderless, at a time when economic growth has stalled and EU leaders are nervous about an impending Trump presidency.

From BBC

She said there were more than 30 email or Microsoft Teams exchanges in December and January 2023 concerning Mr Read's pay, one of which asked "can the business afford to be rudderless"?

From BBC

Following repeated delays to hold legislative elections, the terms of all elected official have run out, leaving the country's institutions rudderless.

From BBC

Chad’s care was “rudderless” and “reactive,” Crooks said.

From Seattle Times

He expects the committee and other independent expenditures will have a hard time engaging with those groups seriously because "currently the Republican Party is rudderless" and without a platform.

From Salon