variants
also British stabilise
stabilizes; stabilized; stabilizing
1
: to become stable or to make (something) stable: such as
a
: to stop quickly changing, increasing, getting worse, etc.
The country's population has stabilized at 3.2 million.
Prices have stabilized.
The government's efforts to stabilize prices have not succeeded.
Even the administration's most vocal critics agree that the President has succeeded in stabilizing the economy.
b
: to make (something) less easily moved
We'll use ropes to stabilize the platform.
c
technical
: to give (something) a chemical structure or to put (something) into a physical state that does not change easily
a process that stabilizes the vaccine
2
: to make (something) steady
drugs that stabilize a patient's heartbeat
The pilots were able to stabilize the airplane and land safely.
Cite this Entry
“Stabilize.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/stabilize. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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