steady state

British  

noun

1. physics the condition of a system when some or all of the quantities describing it are independent of time but not necessarily in thermodynamic or chemical equilibrium See also equilibrium

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steady state Scientific  

/ stĕd′ē /

1. A condition of a physical system or device that does not change over time, or in which any one change is continually balanced by another, such as the stable condition of a system in equilibrium.

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Example Sentences

“I think we’re in a pretty steady state right now, with healthy procedural growth.”

From Barron's • Nov. 18, 2025

“Leaving the balance sheet in a steady state will make it more difficult for any successor to change its use until another crisis opens this path again,” Boyle said.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 28, 2025

Happiness is not a steady state despite its pursuit by Americans.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2024

To achieve that, the researchers carried out thermodynamic modeling to design the new process so that it is chemically balanced and the pH remains at a steady state with no shift in acidity over time.

From Science Daily • Oct. 30, 2023

It would give physicists the first direct evidence that the big bang was correct and that steady state was wrong.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife