1) Constancy 2) Stability 
nonequilibrium state that may persist for a very long time.
nonequilibrium state that may persist for a very long time.
1. Of uncertain stability; in a condition to pass into another phase when slightly disturbed; e.g., water, when cooled below the freezing point may remain liquid but will at once congeal if a piece of ice is added. ... 2. Denoting the excited condition of the nucleus of a radionuclide isomer that reaches a lower energy state by the process of isome...
Describing the condition of radioactive minerals which cannot withstand their composition and begin to decay. Also refers to minerals that crystallize at a certain temperature and can only retain the initial crystal structure at certain temperatures. Synonym of unstable.
Type: Term Pronunciation: met′ă-stā′bĕl Definitions: 1. Of uncertain stability; in a condition to pass into another phase when slightly disturbed, water, when cooled below the freezing point may remain liquid but will immediately congeal if a piece of ice is added. 2. Denoting the excited condition of the nucleus of a rad...
An indeterminate state for a logical system. Typically occurs when sample and hold times are not adhered to in devices such as a Bistable and the logic hovers in a transient state for an indeterminate time. One of the causes of random failures in digital systems - any asynchronous external event can not with certainty be sampled without the possibi...
A state of pseudo-equilibrium.Possessing a state of pseudo-equilibrium that has a free energy higher than that of the true equilibrium state but from which a system does not change spontaneously.
Nonequilibrium state that may persist for a very long time, a longer life time than that of regular excited states. 
adjective (of physical systems) continuing in its present state of equilibrium unless sufficiently disturbed to pass to a more stable state of equilibrium
Possessing a state of pseudo-equilibrium that has a free energy higher than that of the true equilibrium state but from which a system does not change spontaneously.