stable
1 Americannoun
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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)
verb (used without object)
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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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:
They remained hospitalized under observation Tuesday morning but were in stable condition, she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
The British Gas owner is steadily investing cash into more stable businesses, including regulated energy assets, renewables and customer technology, the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
But for liberals and conservatives alike, there were other aims, too, including a high school and maybe even college degree, and a stable job to follow it.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
LVMH, the world's top luxury group, said Monday that sales growth accelerated in the second quarter as it beat analyst expectations with stable net profit in the first half of the year.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
The stable hand yells, “We ain’t at war.”
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Authorities also issued a warning for the equestrian stables at El Rodeo Equestrian Center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 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
The 147 horses were flown to the Horse Inn in Liège, Belgium, after being loaded into special air stables for transport.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026
He took his cockerpoo Gulliver for a walk in a paddock that was part of the stables, and because it was dark was using a torch.
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026
“Don’t know. He wanted a pile of it in there last night, and now he wants all the straw from the stables up in the west tower, every last bit.”
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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
“Whether it is stabler than we thought, or we just haven’t hit the air pocket yet, I don’t know,” he said.
From New York Times ● Mar. 16, 2023
For crypto hedge funds, which tend to trade on swings in price, stabler values also offer diminishing chances to profit.
From Reuters ● Sep. 6, 2022
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
Earth's stablest things are shadows, And, in the life to come.
From The Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell by Lowell, James Russell
Not all of the 1,500 horses stabled are eligible to race in the Kentucky Derby.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2025
The horses are stabled in Hyde Park Barracks, in Knightsbridge - an upmarket area of central London.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 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
An unnamed filly trained by Jorge Abreu and stabled in Barn 86 was sent to an equine hospital track after coming down with a fever.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 20, 2021
After we got the horses stabled and bid the Dee-troit lawmen a good night, me and the cap’n walked toward where the sheriff said we could eat cheap.
From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis
It has offered to fund off-season stabling at Pleasanton and to write races that better fit the makeup of Northern California horses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2024
Soon after, Churchill Downs announced it was suspending Baffert for two years through spring 2023, prohibiting the seven-time Derby winner from stabling or racing at tracks owned by Churchill Downs Inc.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 2, 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
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.
