adj. sta·bler, sta·blest 1. a. Resistant to change of position or condition; not easily moved or disturbed: a house built on stable ground; a stable platform. b. Not subject to sudden or extreme change or fluctuation: a stable economy; a stable currency. c. Maintaining equilibrium; self-restoring: a stable aircraft. 2. Enduring or permanent: a stable peace. 3. a. Consistent or dependable: She has been stable in her support for the project. b. Not showing or marked by erratic or volatile emotions or behavior: He remained stable even after he lost his job. 4. Physics Having no known mode of decay; indefinitely long-lived. Used of atomic particles. 5. Chemistry Not easily decomposed or otherwise modified chemically. [Middle English, from Old French estable, from Latin stabilis; see stā- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] stable·ness n. stably adv. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.