stasis

American  

[stey-sis, stas-is] / ˈsteɪ sɪs, ˈstæs ɪs /

noun

plural

stases

1. the state of equilibrium or inactivity caused by opposing equal forces.

2. Pathology. stagnation in the flow of any of the fluids of the body, as of the blood in an inflamed area or the intestinal contents proximal to an obstruction.

---

stasis British  

/ ˈsteɪsɪs /

noun

1. pathol a stagnation in the normal flow of bodily fluids, such as the blood or urine

2. literature a state or condition in which there is no action or progress; static situation

   dramatic stasis

---

Etymology

Origin of stasis

1735–45; < Greek stásis state of standing, equivalent to sta- (stem of histánai to make stand; stand ) + -sis -sis

Explanation

When nothing's happening, that's stasis. A town government might be stuck in a period of stasis, unable to come to a decision about a controversial issue. Sometimes opposing forces are equal in power, and since neither is stronger than the other, the result is a state where neither can gain any headway. This state is called stasis, and it is basically a stoppage of movement. In medicine, stasis describes the stopping of any bodily fluids from flowing, usually by an obstruction. The same idea is seen in literary stasis, where there is no forward movement in a story.

Example Sentences

But stasis doesn’t make for much of a climax, and as the couple wait in the snowbound airport, the setting also functions as a metaphor for the film as a whole.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

So the stasis, i.e., inactive equilibrium, will remain.

From Barron's • Jan. 1, 2026

The world ends in the stasis of the seventh section, “soft rains.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2025

“But this would seem to suggest that kind of stasis is now changing to more direct action on the part of companies, and that’s going to make jobs more precarious.”

From MarketWatch • Oct. 28, 2025

“I was on my way to get the other Zetas. I ran into Nyla. She asked if I’d seen you near the stasis gel barrels in the hold.”

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera