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stable

/ˈsteɪbl//ˈsteɪbl/·adjective
firmly fixed and not easily moved, changed, or upset
Fig. 1 — I watch a calm sky over a steady day.
01Definition

Something stable holds its state: pushed or shaken, it settles back rather than tipping over or spiralling away. A stable government survives shocks; a stable ladder does not wobble; a stable mood is not thrown by small upsets. The key idea is a restoring tendency — not the absence of force, but the capacity to return to rest after one. The Latin root stabilis, 'able to stand', sits behind 'stand', 'stable', and 'establish' alike.

02In use
  • iAfter years of volatile prices, the housing market finally looked stable.
  • iiA wide base makes the tower stable enough to survive a strong shove.
  • iiiEngineers check that the structure stays stable even as the ground beneath it begins to shrink.
03Collocations
  • a stable economy
  • financially stable
  • a stable relationship
  • remain stable
  • in a stable condition

Family stability (noun) · stabilize (verb) · stabilization (noun) · unstable (adjective)

04Relations

=steady, firm, secure, solid, settled

≠volatile, precarious, unstable, erratic

05Compared
PairThe difference
stable vs stagnantholding its state in a healthy, settled way → stable; not moving and getting worse for it → stagnant.
stable vs volatileit holds its state → stable; a quiet that can suddenly blow up → volatile.
06TOEFL & IELTS

A workhorse adjective across TOEFL/IELTS topics — economies, ecosystems, patients ('in a stable condition'). It pairs naturally as the opposite of volatile and precarious in contrast structures. Promote the noun stability and the verb stabilize in academic writing ('measures to stabilize the currency'). Note that stable is also a noun (a building for horses) — context disambiguates.

07Asked
Does stable mean steady, or a building for horses?
Both — they are two different words that happen to be spelled alike. The adjective (from Latin stabilis, 'able to stand') means firmly settled: a stable government, a stable mood. The noun (from Latin stabulum, 'standing place') is the building for horses. Both trace back to 'stand', but they came into English as separate formations, and context always tells them apart — nobody confuses a stable economy with a stable full of horses.
What is the difference between stable and steady?
Stable is about resisting change — holding a state and returning to it after a shock. Steady is about consistency of motion or rate — steady progress, a steady hand, a steady income that arrives reliably. A stable ladder does not wobble; steady rain keeps falling at the same pace. The scene above is stability: a day that simply stays itself hour after hour, settling back rather than drifting.
What does 'financially stable' mean?
Having finances that can absorb a shock without tipping into crisis — steady income, some savings, manageable debt, so an unexpected bill does not capsize you. The phrase describes resilience, not wealth: a modest budget can be stable and a large one precarious. Emotionally stable works the same way, describing a temperament that small upsets do not throw.
Is stable the opposite of volatile?
Yes — the settled and the wildly changeable stand at opposite poles, and the full contrast is drawn on the stable vs volatile page in the 'Compared' list above.
What does 'in a stable condition' mean in hospital?
That the patient's vital signs are steady and not deteriorating — crucially, it does not mean improving or out of danger. It is a precise medical status: the situation is holding, for now. Confusing 'stable' with 'getting better' is a common misreading, and the word keeps its exact sense here — a state maintained, neither worsening nor, by itself, mending.