Academic / formal word meaning opposite of entrenched / set in stone

Question

I want to find a way to convey the meaning of 'not being entrenched' and at the same time maintaining a formal / academic tone. The sentence I'm working with is:

The market share leader board is becoming incrementally _________.

For context: There is reshuffling of ranks at all segments of the leader board now (whereas in the past it was very static/entrenched).

My early attempts included (and reasons why rejected):

• 'fluid' (seems too modernist)
• 'dynamic' (while the opposite of static, seems too abstract here)
• 'less entrenched' (unwieldy. I'm not 100% happy with using entrenched to describe a leader board)

Question

What is an academic word that can convey that the leader board is 'less set in stone'? If there is no one magic word, a phrase would likely suffice.

Answer 1

A leader board reflects changes in the rankings (by whatever means) of its underlying members, competitors, or components. Thus a good word would be

volatile

Subject to rapid and possibly unexpected change.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/volatile

Answer 2

How about shifting? From M-W:

shift: to go through a change

Your example, slightly edited:

The market-share leaderboard is incrementally shifting.

The combination of incrementally and shifting conveys the impression that previously the leaderboard was not shifting, i.e., that the leaderboard was static or "entrenched".

Answer 3

A word that seems to be well suited to this is adaptable:

[Merriam-Webster]
: capable of being or becoming adapted

// an adaptable tool that combines a screwdriver, a corkscrew, and pliers
// an activities director who's adaptable to any kind of situation

Unlike other synonyms, and in the context of the question, it has a specific sense of being able to "adapt to the times," which connotes a conscious effort towards positive change rather than just a general passive nature of being driven or manipulated by external forces.

Used in the example sentence:

The market share leader board is becoming incrementally adaptable.

Answer 4

Both forward-looking and progressive mean and encapsulate the opposite of entrenched:

forward-looking [adjective]

looking at the future in a positive way and happy to try new ideas and methods

a forward-looking policy/strategy/plan

[Macmillan]

forward-looking [adjective]

favouring innovation and development; progressive.

a forward-looking company

[Lexico]

....................

progressive ...

1b: making use of or interested in new ideas, findings, or opportunities

[Merriam-Webster]

Answer 5

As is often the case, the poster has fallen into a trap of his own making. If you dispense with the superfluous “incrementally”, you can say something that approximates more to English, such as:

The market share leader board is changing more and more.

However I dispute the idea that “leader board” is in any way academic or formal. To rework into formal English, while retaining the simplicity, I would write something like:

The companies with the greatest market share are changing more and more.

But to include a single word, so that the charge of not answering the question doesn‘t hold, I offer inchoate. It has the advantage that few people will understand it.