stability

[stuh-bil-i-tee]

noun

plural

stabilities 

1. the state or quality of being stable.

2. firmness in position.

3. continuance without change; permanence.

4. Chemistry.,  resistance or the degree of resistance to chemical change or disintegration.

5. resistance to change, especially sudden change or deterioration.

   The stability of the economy encourages investment.

6. steadfastness; constancy, as of character or purpose.

   The job calls for a great deal of emotional stability.

   Synonyms: balance, solidity, poise, soundness, strength, steadiness

7. Aeronautics.,  the ability of an aircraft to return to its original flying position when abruptly displaced.

8. Roman Catholic Church.,  a vow taken by a Benedictine monk, binding him to residence for life in the same monastery in which he made the vow.

stability

/ stəˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. the quality of being stable

2. the ability of an aircraft to resume its original flight path after inadvertent displacement

3. meteorol

   1. the condition of an air or water mass characterized by no upward movement

   2. the degree of susceptibility of an air mass to disturbance by convection currents

4. ecology the ability of an ecosystem to resist change

5. electrical engineering the ability of an electrical circuit to cope with changes in the operational conditions

6. a vow taken by every Benedictine monk attaching him perpetually to the monastery where he is professed

Other Word Forms

• nonstability noun
• overstability noun
• self-stability noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of stability¹

First recorded in 1400–50; from Latin stabilitās, from stabili(s) stable ² + -tās -ty ²; replacing late Middle English stablete, from Old French, from Latin, as above

Example Sentences

For decades, central banks have operated independently from governments in most major economies, to give priority to financial and price stability over short-term political pressures.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"We have the youngest population. We have a lot of renewable green energy. We have low taxes and economic stability," he says proudly.

Read more on BBC

Equally critical is the establishment of a governance model in Gaza that excludes both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, entities that have repeatedly failed to deliver peace, stability or accountability.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“The U.S. Treasury is prepared, immediately,” Mr. Bessent wrote, “to take whatever exceptional measures are warranted to provide stability to markets.”

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The meeting will aim "to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security", it said.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• balance 
• cohesion 
• establishment 
• security 
• strength 
• support