metastable

adjective

meta·​sta·​ble ˌme-tə-ˈstā-bəl How to pronounce metastable (audio)
: having or characterized by only a slight margin of stability
a metastable compound
metastability noun
metastably adverb

Examples of metastable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Precise laser pluses ‘freeze’ atoms in place Interestingly, the team found that this metastable form preserves most of the electronic characteristics of the original crystalline silicon, including a slightly smaller band gap, a key factor in determining how the material conducts electricity. Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2025 And there was no single form of equilibrium for a knitted sweater's resting shape; rather, there were multiple metastable states that were dependent on the fabric's history—the different ways it had been folded, stretched, or rumpled. Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2024 Plugging those two numbers into the stability equations reveals that the universe is… metastable. Paul M. Sutter, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2022 In 2000, astronomers predicted that metastable helium should show up in certain planetary atmospheres, but a search for it—reported in 2003,—on the planet HD 209458b, came up empty. Alexandra Witze, Scientific American, 4 May 2018 Guth wondered what would have happened if such a metastable phase transition occurred in the early universe. Adam Davidson, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2017

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of metastable was in 1897

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Cite this Entry

“Metastable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metastable. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

metastable

adjective
meta·​sta·​ble ˌmet-ə-ˈstā-bəl How to pronounce metastable (audio)
: having or characterized by only a slight margin of stability
a metastable compound
metastability noun
plural metastabilities
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