The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word REBELLIOUS
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
R
E
B
E
L
L
I
O
U
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "not easily held in place" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case not easily held in place = rebellious.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does REBELLIOUS mean?
REBELLIOUS adjective- Showing rebellion.