destabilize

Destabilize is a verb meaning to cause or contribute to the loss of stability in a system, such as a government, economy, or social order. In political science and international relations, it is used to describe efforts, whether state or nonstate, that aim to weaken a state's governance, legitimacy, or cohesion, or disrupt markets and social structures.

The term is used for both domestic and foreign contexts. Destabilization can refer to gradual processes, such as rising political polarization or financial stress, as well as to planned or covert actions intended to create uncertainty and undermine institutions.

Common mechanisms cited in analysis include economic shocks or sanctions, policy volatility, information or influence campaigns, encouragement of protests or opposition movements, and disruption of essential services. The effects can include eroded public trust, weakened institutions, increased violence, or altered strategic alignments, sometimes with spillover to neighboring regions.

Etymology and variants: Destabilize is formed from de- plus stabilizer, with the sense of removing stability. The standard American spelling is destabilize; the British variant is destabilise.

See also: instability, stability, undermining, destabilization, regime change, foreign interference.