n.
Function: adjective
Inflected Form: sta · bler \ -b( ə -)l ə r \ ; sta · blest \ -b( ə -)l ə st \
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French estable, stable, from Latin stabilis, from stare to stand
Date: 13th century
1 a : firmly established : FIXED , STEADFAST < stable opinions> b : not changing or fluctuating : UNVARYING <in stable condition> c : PERMANENT , ENDURING < stable civilizations>
2 a : steady in purpose : firm in resolution b : not subject to insecurity or emotional illness : SANE , RATIONAL <a stable personality>
3 a (1) : placed so as to resist forces tending to cause motion or change of motion (2) : designed so as to develop forces that restore the original condition when disturbed from a condition of equilibrium or steady motion b (1) : not readily altering in chemical makeup or physical state < stable emulsions> (2) : not spontaneously radioactive
synonyms see LASTING
– sta · ble · ness \ -b ə l-n ə s \ noun
– sta · bly \ -b( ə -)l ē \ adverb