Standard Lemma guide

stabilize

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: stāʹ-bə-līz'
  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈsteɪ.bəˌlaɪz/
  • Southern-England: Berkshire Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈstæɪ.bəˌlɑez/
  • Australian: [ˈstæɪ̯.bəˌlɑe̯z]
  • New-Zealand: [ˈstæɪ̯.bəˌlɑe̯z]
  • Philippines: /ˈst̪abɪlaɪz/
  • Philippines: /ˈst̪æbɪlaɪz/
  • rhymes with -eɪbəlaɪz
  • CMU ARPABET: S T EY1 B AH0 L AY2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To make stable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Jody stabilized the table by putting a book under the short leg.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To become stable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The country will stabilize after the next election ends.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

make stable and keep from fluctuating or put into an equilibrium

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The drug stabilized her blood pressure
  • stabilize prices

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stabilise

Antonyms: destabilize

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: peg

4

verb

Meaning 4

become stable or more stable

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The economy stabilized

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stabilise

Antonyms: destabilize, destabilise

Broader terms: change

Narrower terms: settle, root, take root, steady down, settle down, steady, calm, becalm

5

verb

Meaning 5

support or hold steady and make steadfast, with or as if with a brace

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • brace your elbows while working on the potter's wheel

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brace, steady, stabilise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: strengthen, beef up, fortify

Narrower terms: ballast, guy

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English stable Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English stabilize From stable + -ize.

Across languages

Translations

43 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: стабілізава́ць (stabilizavácʹ) — to make stable
  • Bulgarian: стабилизи́рам (stabilizíram) — to make stable
  • Catalan: estabilitzar — to make stable
  • Czech: stabilizovat — to make stable
  • Esperanto: stabiligi — to make stable
  • Finnish: vakauttaa — to make stable
  • French: stabiliser — to make stable
  • Galician: estabilizar — to make stable
  • German: stabilisieren — to make stable
  • Greek: σταθεροποιώ (statheropoió) — to make stable
  • Hungarian: stabilizál — to make stable
  • Indonesian: menstabilkan — to make stable
  • Irish: cobhsaigh — to make stable
  • Latin: stabiliō — to make stable
  • Malay: menstabilkan — to make stable
  • Māori: whakamatua — to make stable
  • Māori: tauta — to make stable
  • Māori: whakawhena — to make stable
  • Māori: whakapūmau — to make stable
  • Polish: stabilizować — to make stable
  • Portuguese: estabilizar — to make stable
  • Romanian: stabiliza — to make stable
  • Russian: стабилизи́ровать (stabilizírovatʹ) — to make stable
  • Spanish: estabilizar — to make stable
  • Swahili: imarisha — to make stable
  • Turkish: stabilize etmek — to make stable
  • Ukrainian: стабілізува́ти (stabilizuváty) — to make stable
  • Bulgarian: стабилизи́рам се (stabilizíram se) — to become stable
  • Catalan: estabilitzar-se — to become stable
  • French: se stabiliser — to become stable
  • Galician: estabilizarse — to become stable
  • German: sich stabilisieren — to become stable
  • Hungarian: stabilizálódik — to become stable
  • Irish: cobhsaigh — to become stable
  • Māori: whakawhena — to become stable
  • Portuguese: estabilizar-se — to become stable
  • Romanian: stabiliza — to become stable
  • Russian: стабилизи́роваться (stabilizírovatʹsja) — to become stable
  • Spanish: estabilizarse — to become stable
  • Swahili: imarisha — to become stable
  • Turkish: stabilize olmak — to become stable
  • Turkish: stabilleşmek — to become stable
  • Ukrainian: стабілізува́тися (stabilizuvátysja) — to become stable
Real reading context

stabilize in complete knowledge articles