stabilize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make or hold stable, firm, or steadfast.
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to maintain at a given or unfluctuating level or quantity.
The government will try to stabilize the cost of living.
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Aeronautics. to put or keep (an aircraft) in stable equilibrium, as by some special device.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to make or become stable or more stable
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to keep or be kept stable
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to put or keep (an aircraft, vessel, etc) in equilibrium by one or more special devices, or (of an aircraft, vessel, etc) to become stable
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stabilize
Explanation
The verb stabilize means to hold steady or make firm. When you climb a ladder, you should stabilize the ladder before you get on it, otherwise you may get a lesson in the laws of gravity — you know, what goes up comes down! The verb stabilize also means to keep from changing or shifting. If you have a fever and your temperature is all over the place, you can help stabilize it by taking aspirin. The verb stabilize was originally applied to ships and the idea that something like weight or the shape of the ship could be used to produce a steadier, or less wobbly, voyage. Now the verb applies to anything that can be made more steady or stable. You might remember how happy you were when learning to ride a bike that you had training wheels to stabilize you.
Vocabulary lists containing stabilize
Hatchet
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Purple Hibiscus
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Human Impacts on Earth Systems - Introductory
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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.
He scrapped two-decade-old fuel subsidies that had drained the treasury's international dollar reserves, but so far he has failed to stabilize fuel supplies.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
Kennedy, however, has no real interest in fixing structural problems that leave people with no choice but to use SSRIs to stabilize themselves.
From Salon • May 18, 2026
Most cruise ships—including smaller expedition vessels like the MV Hondius—have onboard medical staff, who are trained to stabilize acute illness, provide emergency care and coordinate evacuations when more advanced treatment is required.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
“We believe it will be imperative for the company to control its churn rate in order to stabilize future operational results in wireless,” Yaghi says.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
“Your first primer. You must learn control and precision, getting your light to stabilize inside this before you can venture into more advanced territory.”
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
