metastable

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adjective

Of or pertaining to a physical or chemical state that is relatively long-lived, but may decay to a lower energy state when slightly perturbed or through a quantum transition.

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Meanings

adjectivemetastable (comparative more metastable, superlative most metastable)

comparative more metastable · superlative most metastable

  1. chemistryOf or pertaining to a physical or chemical state that is relatively long-lived, but may decay to a lower energy state when slightly perturbed or through a quantum transition.
nounmetastable (plural metastables)

plural metastables

  1. A particle, etc. in the metastable state.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
mesostable

Origin

From meta- + stable.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan metaestable
  • metaestableof a long-lived unstable state
Chinese Mandarin 介穩 /介稳, 亞穩 /亚稳
  • 介穩 /介稳 (jièwěn)of a long-lived unstable state
  • 亞穩 /亚稳 (yàwěn)of a long-lived unstable state
Finnish metastabiili
  • metastabiiliof a long-lived unstable state
French métastable
  • métastableof a long-lived unstable state
German metastabil
  • metastabilof a long-lived unstable state
Greek μετασταθής
  • μετασταθής (metastathís)of a long-lived unstable state
Italian metastabile
  • metastabileof a long-lived unstable state
Polish metastabilny
  • metastabilnyof a long-lived unstable state
Portuguese metaestável
  • metaestávelof a long-lived unstable state
Romanian metastabil
  • metastabilof a long-lived unstable state
Russian мѐтастаби́льный
  • мѐтастаби́льный (mètastabílʹnyj)of a long-lived unstable state
Spanish metaestable
  • metaestableof a long-lived unstable state
Turkish yarı kararlı
  • yarı kararlıof a long-lived unstable state

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

stablematesteamtable
Cite this entry
APA

metastable. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metastable

MLA

“metastable.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metastable. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “metastable,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metastable.

Source: metastable on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.