homeostasis

noun

ho·​meo·​sta·​sis ˌhō-mē-ō-ˈstā-səs How to pronounce homeostasis (audio)
: a relatively stable state of equilibrium or a tendency toward such a state between the different but interdependent elements or groups of elements of an organism, population, or group
striving to achieve homeostasis
homeostatic adjective

Examples of homeostasis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Additionally, beneath the iceberg of awareness, our brains are keeping track of the mosaic of physical variables — body temperature, blood glucose level, heart rate, respiration, and so on — that must remain stable, in a state known as homeostasis, to keep us alive. Conor Feehly, Quanta Magazine, 4 June 2025 The Queen of Pentacles reminds you to balance ambition with self-care in order to achieve this homeostasis. Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 June 2025 French physiologist Claude Bernard, meanwhile, came up with an idea of balance or stability of the body's internal environment (milieu intérieur), which was a precursor to the concept of homeostasis. ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2025 This idea frames Earth as a living system in which all organisms influence the surrounding environment to maintain homeostasis (in other words, stability). Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for homeostasis

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of homeostasis was in 1926

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Cite this Entry

“Homeostasis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homeostasis. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

homeostasis

noun
ho·​meo·​sta·​sis ˌhō-mē-ō-ˈstā-səs How to pronounce homeostasis (audio)
: a tendency for the conditions inside the body of an animal (as a mammal) to stay pretty much the same even when outside environmental conditions (as temperature) change
homeostatic adjective

Medical Definition

homeostasis

noun
ho·​meo·​sta·​sis
variants or British homoeostasis
: the maintenance of relatively stable internal physiological conditions (as body temperature or the pH of blood) in higher animals under fluctuating environmental conditions
also : the process of maintaining a stable psychological state in the individual under varying psychological pressures or stable social conditions in a group under varying social, environmental, or political factors
homeostatic adjective
or British homoeostatic
homeostatically adjective
or British homoeostatically

More from Merriam-Webster on homeostasis

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