Katastasis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A state of stability and order in a particular situation or condition
2. The process by which something reaches a definite state or settled condition, often used in various contexts
3. A critical point at which balance is achieved or maintained, resulting in a stable condition or system

Etymology: Ancient Greek "katastasis" (κατάστασις) meant "settling" or "appointment," and it was built from "kata-," "down," plus "histanai," "to set up" or "to stand," so the underlying picture is of something being set down into place. That physical sense of putting something firmly in position carried over into the idea of a thing arriving at its proper condition. The Greek word moved into Latin as "catastasis" and was used in rhetoric for the part of an argument where the speaker establishes the central point and builds the case, the stage where matters are firmly set out. This technical sense kept the notion of a settled, fixed arrangement rather than mere change. In English the word, spelled "catastasis" or "katastasis," remains a learned term, found mainly in specialist writing on rhetoric, drama and medicine, where it names the moment a situation reaches its stable or resolved state.

Synonyms: state, condition, situation, status, circumstance

Antonyms: disorder, chaos, confusion