WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
punc′tuated equilib′rium,
- Biology theory of, a hypothesis holding that the evolution of species proceeds in a characteristic pattern of relative stability for long periods of time interspersed with much shorter periods during which many species become extinct and new species emerge.Also called punctuationalism. Cf. gradualism (def. 3).
'punctuated equilibrium' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):