plateau

[pla-toh, plat-oh]

noun

plural

plateaus, plateaux 

1. a land area having a relatively level surface considerably raised above adjoining land on at least one side, and often cut by deep canyons.

2. a period or state of little or no growth or decline.

   to reach a plateau in one's career.

3. Psychology.,  a period of little or no apparent progress in an individual's learning, marked by an inability to increase speed, reduce number of errors, etc., and indicated by a horizontal stretch in a learning curve or graph.

4. a flat stand, as for a centerpiece, sometimes extending the full length of a table.

verb (used without object)

plateaued, plateauing 

1. to reach a state or level of little or no growth or decline, especially to stop increasing or progressing; remain at a stable level of achievement; level off.

   After a period of uninterrupted growth, sales began to plateau.

verb (used with object)

plateaued, plateauing 

1. to cause to remain at a stable level, especially to prevent from rising or progressing.

   Rising inflation plateaued sales income.

Plateau

¹

/ ˈplætəʊ /

noun

1. a state of central Nigeria, formed in 1976 from part of Benue-Plateau State: tin mining. Capital: Jos. Pop: 3 178 712 (2006). Area: 30 913 sq km (11 936 sq miles)

plateau

²

/ ˈplætəʊ /

noun

1. a wide mainly level area of elevated land

2. a relatively long period of stability; levelling off

   the rising prices reached a plateau

verb

1. to remain at a stable level for a relatively long period

plateau

1. An elevated, comparatively level expanse of land. Plateaus make up about 45 percent of the Earth's land surface.

Word History and Origins

Origin of plateau¹

1785–95; < French; Old French platel flat object, diminutive of plat plate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of plateau¹

C18: from French, from Old French platel something flat, from plat flat; see _plate

Example Sentences

"This is unlikely to mark the start of a sustained rise in borrowing costs, but rather a prolonged plateau while the outlook becomes clearer."

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The Tibetan plateau has always been home to a dry climate.

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After several blockbuster quarters, the revenue projection was seen as underwhelming and stoked worries that growth in demand for AI chips might be hitting a plateau.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

With AI beginning to look as if it has reached a deployment plateau — if not a lessening of hype — high-tech promoters and investors are on the hunt for the next big thing.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"There is also mounting evidence that the country's emissions are plateauing, with this year's levels expected to be lower than in 2024," said Li Shuo.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• elevation 
• highland 
• plain