Meanings
plural homeostases · alternative homoeostasis · alternative homœostasis
- countableuncountablemedicineThe ability of a system or living organism to adjust its internal environment to maintain a state of dynamic constancy; such as the ability of warm-blooded animals to maintain a stable temperature.
When homeostasis is disrupted by an external stressor - such as injury, lack of nutrients, or invasion by parasites or other organisms - illness may occur.
2011, Professional Guide to Pathophysiology, Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkins, page 11 more example
His most important work concentrated on the complexities of chemical neurotransmission (for which Otto Loewi received a Nobel Prize in 1936) and on “homeostasis” (a term coined by Cannon in 1926), the maintenance of steady states in the body and the physiological processes through which they are regulated.
2002, "Walter Bradford Cannon" in American Journal of Physiology, 92(10):1594-5, DOI 10.2105/AJPH.92.10.1594 - countableuncountableSuch a dynamic equilibrium or balance.
Origin
- Ancient Greekστάσις“standing, state”
- Englishhomeostasis
Coined by Walter Bradford Cannon from Ancient Greek ὅμοιος (hómoios, “similar, the same”) + -stasis , from Ancient Greek στάσις (stásis, “standing, state”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic تَجَانُس
- تَجَانُس (tajānus)ability to stabilize internal environment
Bulgarian хомеоста́за, хомеоста́зис
- хомеоста́за (homeostáza)ability to stabilize internal environment
- хомеоста́зис (homeostázis)ability to stabilize internal environment
Catalan homeòstasi
- homeòstasiability to stabilize internal environment
Chinese Mandarin 穩態 /稳态, 恆定狀態 /恒定状态
- 穩態 /稳态 (wěntài)ability to stabilize internal environment
- 恆定狀態 /恒定状态 (héngdìng zhuàngtài)ability to stabilize internal environment
- 恆定性 /恒定性 (héngdìngxìng)ability to stabilize internal environment
- 體內平衡 /体内平衡 (tǐnèi pínghéng)ability to stabilize internal environment
Czech homeostáza
- homeostázaability to stabilize internal environment
Danish homøostase
- homøostaseability to stabilize internal environment
Dutch homeostase
- homeostaseability to stabilize internal environment
Finnish homeostaasi
- homeostaasiability to stabilize internal environment
French homéostasie
- homéostasieability to stabilize internal environment
German Homöostase, Selbstregulation
- Homöostaseability to stabilize internal environment
- Selbstregulationability to stabilize internal environment
Greek ομοιόσταση, ομοιοστασία
- ομοιόσταση (omoióstasi)ability to stabilize internal environment
- ομοιοστασία (omoiostasía)ability to stabilize internal environment
Hungarian homeosztázis
- homeosztázisability to stabilize internal environment
Icelandic samvægi
- samvægiability to stabilize internal environment
Indonesian homeostasis
- homeostasisability to stabilize internal environment
Irish hoiméastáis, aonstádas
- hoiméastáisability to stabilize internal environment
- aonstádasability to stabilize internal environment
Italian omeostasi
- omeostasiability to stabilize internal environment
Japanese 恒常性, ホメオスタシス
- 恒常性 (kōjōsei)ability to stabilize internal environment
- ホメオスタシス (homeosutashisu)ability to stabilize internal environment
Korean 항상성
- 항상성 (hangsangseong)ability to stabilize internal environment
Persian همایستایی
- همایستایی (ham-istâyi)ability to stabilize internal environment
Polish homeostaza
- homeostazaability to stabilize internal environment
Portuguese homeostase
- homeostaseability to stabilize internal environment
Russian гомеоста́з
- гомеоста́з (gomeostáz)ability to stabilize internal environment
Slovak homeostáza
- homeostázaability to stabilize internal environment
Spanish homeostasis
- homeostasisability to stabilize internal environment
Swedish homeostas
- homeostasability to stabilize internal environment
Ukrainian гомеоста́з
- гомеоста́з (homeostáz)ability to stabilize internal environment
Vietnamese cân bằng nội môi, hằng tính nội môi
- cân bằng nội môiability to stabilize internal environment
- hằng tính nội môiability to stabilize internal environment
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with homeostasis
All rhymes →Cite this entry
homeostasis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/homeostasis
“homeostasis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/homeostasis. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “homeostasis,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/homeostasis.
Source: homeostasis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.