stabilize

verb

USSTAY-buh-lyz/ˈsteɪ.bəlˌaɪz/

Formsstabilizes, stabilizing, stabilized

UK spellingstabilise

2 meanings of stabilize

1
make steadyverbtransitive
To make something steady so it stops moving, shaking, or changing.
Like sliding a folded napkin under a wobbly table so it stops rocking.
The nurses worked fast to stabilize the patient after the accident.
Engineers used steel cables to stabilize the old bridge.
Similarsteady, secure, balance, settle, anchor
Oppositedestabilize, unsettle
2
make steadyverbintransitive
To become steady, so something stops moving or changing.
Like a swing that slowly stops moving until it hangs still.
After a few weeks of treatment, his condition began to stabilize.
Prices stabilized once the shortage finally ended.
Similarsettle, steady
Oppositefluctuate, waver

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Origin

It comes from the word "stable" plus the ending "-ize".