metastable
adjective
meta·sta·ble
ˌme-tə-ˈstā-bəl 
: having or characterized by only a slight margin of stability
a metastable compound
Examples of metastable in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Its highly distorted structure could enable complex transition pathways that lead to metastable ice phases.
—
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025
Then, those metastable states de-excite, causing the emission of a gamma-ray.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025
And there was no single form of equilibrium for a knitted sweater's resting shape; rather, there were multiple metastable states that were dependent on the fabric's history—the different ways it had been folded, stretched, or rumpled.
—Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2024
Plugging those two numbers into the stability equations reveals that the universe is… metastable.
—Paul M. Sutter, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2022
In 2000, astronomers predicted that metastable helium should show up in certain planetary atmospheres, but a search for it—reported in 2003,—on the planet HD 209458b, came up empty.
—Alexandra Witze, Scientific American, 4 May 2018
These are vanquished by the plasma's cargo of metastable helium atoms (which are roughly halfway between ground state and excited ionized state).
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2010
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Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025
Then, those metastable states de-excite, causing the emission of a gamma-ray.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025
And there was no single form of equilibrium for a knitted sweater's resting shape; rather, there were multiple metastable states that were dependent on the fabric's history—the different ways it had been folded, stretched, or rumpled.
—Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2024
Plugging those two numbers into the stability equations reveals that the universe is… metastable.
—Paul M. Sutter, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2022
In 2000, astronomers predicted that metastable helium should show up in certain planetary atmospheres, but a search for it—reported in 2003,—on the planet HD 209458b, came up empty.
—Alexandra Witze, Scientific American, 4 May 2018
These are vanquished by the plasma's cargo of metastable helium atoms (which are roughly halfway between ground state and excited ionized state).
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Jan. 2010
Cite this Entry
“Metastable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metastable. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
metastable
adjective
meta·sta·ble
ˌmet-ə-ˈstā-bəl
: having or characterized by only a slight margin of stability
a metastable compound
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