stability

[ stuh-bil-i-tee ]
See synonyms for stability on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural sta·bil·i·ties.
  1. the state or quality of being stable.

  2. firmness in position.

  1. continuance without change; permanence.

  2. Chemistry. resistance or the degree of resistance to chemical change or disintegration.

  3. resistance to change, especially sudden change or deterioration: The stability of the economy encourages investment.

  4. steadfastness; constancy, as of character or purpose: The job calls for a great deal of emotional stability.

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

  6. 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.

Origin of stability

1
First recorded in 1400–50; from Latin stabilitās, from stabili(s) stable2 + -tās -ty2; replacing late Middle English stablete, from Old French, from Latin, as above

Other words for stability

Other words from stability

  • non·sta·bil·i·ty, noun
  • o·ver·sta·bil·i·ty, noun
  • self-sta·bil·i·ty, noun

Words Nearby stability

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use stability in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stability

stability

/ (stəˈbɪlɪtɪ) /


nounplural -ties
  1. the quality of being stable

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

  1. meteorol

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

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

  2. ecology the ability of an ecosystem to resist change

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

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012