stasis
Americannoun
plural
stases-
the state of equilibrium or inactivity caused by opposing equal forces.
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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.
noun
-
pathol a stagnation in the normal flow of bodily fluids, such as the blood or urine
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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; see 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.
Vocabulary lists containing stasis
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
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The Hidden Oracle
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The Last Cuentista
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Stasis seems the furthest thing from the painter’s mind.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026
The Stasis boarded the Slice of Life in the darkness.
From New York Times • Oct. 2, 2022
Giger inspired stop motion short Stasis, but it seems that he's eager to venture back into the demonic world of Doom once again.
From The Verge • Oct. 23, 2014
Starvation,” by Stephenson, World Policy Journal“Space Stasis: What the strange persistence of rockets can teach us about innovation,” by Stephenson, , Feb. 2, 2011.
From Slate • Apr. 29, 2013
Stasis, or civil enmity, ran very high in Greece, and these women were of the party that hated Aegisthus.
From The Electra of Euripides Translated into English rhyming verse by Murray, Gilbert
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
