stable
1 Americannoun
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stables
plural
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a building for the lodging and feeding of horses, cattle, etc.
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such a building with stalls.
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a collection of animals housed in such a building.
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Horse Racing.
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an establishment where racehorses are kept and trained.
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the horses belonging to, or the persons connected with, such an establishment.
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Informal.
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a number of people, usually in the same profession, who are employed, trained, or represented by the same company, agency, manager, etc..
a comedy show with a large stable of writers.
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the establishment that trains or manages such a group of people.
two boxers from the same stable.
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a collection of items produced by or belonging to an establishment, industry, profession, or the like.
The American auto industry has some new small cars in its stable.
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verb (used with object)
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stables,
present (3rd person singular)
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stabled,
past participle, past
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stabling
present participle
verb (used without object)
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stables,
present (3rd person singular)
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stabled,
past participle, past
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stabling
present participle
adjective
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not likely to fall or give way, as a structure, support, foundation, etc.; firm; steady.
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able or likely to continue or last; firmly established; enduring or permanent.
a stable government.
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resistant to sudden change or deterioration.
A stable economy is the aim of every government.
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steadfast; not wavering or changeable, as in character or purpose; dependable.
- Synonyms:
- steady, reliable, constant, staunch, invariable
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not subject to emotional instability or illness; sane; mentally sound.
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Physics. having the ability to react to a disturbing force by maintaining or reestablishing position, form, etc.
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Chemistry. not readily decomposing, as a compound; resisting molecular or chemical change.
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(of a patient's condition) exhibiting no significant change.
noun
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a building, usually consisting of stalls, for the lodging of horses or other livestock
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the animals lodged in such a building, collectively
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the racehorses belonging to a particular establishment or owner
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the establishment itself
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( as modifier )
stable companion
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informal a source of training, such as a school, theatre, etc
the two athletes were out of the same stable
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a number of people considered as a source of a particular talent
a stable of writers
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(modifier) of, relating to, or suitable for a stable
stable manners
verb
adjective
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steady in position or balance; firm
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lasting or permanent
a stable relationship
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steadfast or firm of purpose
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(of an elementary particle, atomic nucleus, etc) not undergoing decay; not radioactive
a stable nuclide
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(of a chemical compound) not readily partaking in a chemical change
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(of electronic equipment) with no tendency to self-oscillation
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Not susceptible to a process of decay, such as radioactivity. For example, the most common isotope of carbon, carbon 12, is stable. Protons and photons are examples of stable subatomic particles.
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See more at decay
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Relating to a chemical compound that does not easily decompose or change into other compounds. Water is an example of a stable compound.
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Relating to an atom or chemical element that is unlikely to share electrons with another atom or element.
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Not likely to change significantly or to deteriorate suddenly, as an individual's medical condition.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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stablesimple
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stablessimple
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have stabledperfect
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has stabledperfect
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am stablingprogressive
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are stablingprogressive
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is stablingprogressive
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have been stablingperfect progressive
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has been stablingperfect progressive
Past
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stabledsimple
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had stabledperfect
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was stablingprogressive
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were stablingprogressive
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had been stablingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of stable1
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English stable, stabel(e), from Old French estable, from Latin stabulum “stall; shed,” equivalent to sta-, stem of stāre “to stand” + -bulum noun suffix denoting place; see origin at stand
Origin of stable2
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English stable, stabel(e), from Old French estable, stable, from Latin stabilis stabile
Explanation
When something is stable, it's fixed and steady. If you needed advice, you'd probably go to your most stable friend, the one least likely to act crazy or be easily upset. Whether you're talking about an object or a person, the adjective stable implies reliability and strength. You can describe a government as stable, or a relationship, or a desk. A completely different meaning of stable is the noun "building used for housing horses or other animals." Both senses of the word come from the Latin stabilis, "firm or steadfast."
Vocabulary lists containing stable
List 8
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Africa - 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.
See Examples For:
He is now in a stable condition, police wrote in the latest update.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
As CO2 increases, the body can retain additional bicarbonate to help keep blood pH stable.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
The dollar has been relatively stable in 2026, its broad index against other major currencies having risen 1.6% so far this year.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
And its 15 teams feature a growing stable of household names, led by Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
First we opened the shutters of the window which looked out across a narrow stone-flagged yard at the blank face of a stable, pointed to look like the front of a miniature house.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
Included were proposals to create an enclosure for the animals, stables, three shepherd huts, parking for tractors and a pond.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
“We could sell the stables and have a nice comfortable life,” West Side Livery stables manager Tony Salerno said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
"I just love him so much. It's amazing seeing a horse in London; you don't see them unless you go to the stables."
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
As part of the deal, TSG must pay for the demolition of the stables, grandstand and adjoining structures.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2026
“Sure, I’m skinny,” he said as they hurried back through the stables, “but I stay drier in the rain.”
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
This new object is another with a very elliptical orbit, but it is stabler than 2017 OF201, which suggests that no large planet, including a hypothetical planet nine, is significantly affecting its path.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 9, 2026
But a stabler exchange rate, lower inflation and more robust growth have not yet helped those struggling to make ends meet.
From Reuters ● Oct. 3, 2023
They’re bringing with them clearer waters, stabler shores, and animals and other organisms that used to thrive there.
From New York Times ● May 24, 2023
Plus, the bond was thousands of times stabler than that of the next-strongest naturally occurring molecular suitor.
From Scientific American ● Dec. 28, 2021
But the thought flits through my mind, There have got to be stabler things than love.
From "Grendel" by John Gardner
Russell and Hawn famously have one of the stablest relationships in Hollywood, so you have to wonder how they looked at this script and thought, “Yup, that seems normal – sign us up!”
From The Guardian ● Apr. 13, 2018
It hasn't been the stablest year for MakerBot.
From The Verge ● Jul. 24, 2015
The prior studies simply targeted and featured the stablest, most educated gay couples.
From Slate ● Jun. 14, 2012
In the fickle high-risk arena of television, where admiration swiftly changes to boredom or dislike, Cronkite, "the most trusted man in America," has been the stablest on-screen presence of them all.
From Time Magazine Archive
Indeed, by repeated, almost unconscious attestations, it was his stablest trust.
From Abraham Lincoln's Cardinal Traits; A Study in Ethics, with an Epilogue Addressed to Theologians by Clark S. Beardslee
The ordinance defines these operations as any facility that includes animals stabled or confined for 45 days or more in a 12-month period.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2024
Afterward, EO is relocated to a farm, where he’s stabled alongside a white stallion whose privileged status doesn’t protect it from human desires and designs.
From New York Times ● Jan. 3, 2023
The majority of those stabled were showing stress-induced behaviours and a bay mare called Maia - who was reluctant to move - was found to be suffering from untreated laminitis, an inflammation of the hoof.
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2022
The 46 horses stabled in the barn are being monitored for fever and other symptoms.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 20, 2021
He showed me how he wanted the horses stabled and groomed.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
Churchill Downs has suspended him for two years and the New York Racing Association has indefinitely suspended him from stabling and racing at Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 4, 2021
"The likelihood is that, because of its location, most of the early landlords were connected with horses, carriages and stabling," writes Dailey.
From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2017
Danzing Candy won't have any accommodation problems, as stabling at Churchill Downs is free, although the hay, carrots and mints are extra.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2016
Millfield's resources are truly staggering: an equestrian centre, stabling for 50 horses, a 50-metre Olympic swimming pool, Tartan athletics track, playing fields, a putting green, an indoor tennis centre and a fencing salle.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 7, 2012
"Innkeep," a servant's voice called out behind her, "we have horses that want stabling, and my lord of Lannister requires a room and a hot bath."
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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.
