'gradually-stabilized' originates from the combination of 'gradually' and 'stabilize', where 'gradually' means 'slowly over time' and 'stabilize' means 'to make or become stable'.

'gradually-stabilized' evolved from the verb 'stabilize' with the adverb 'gradually' to describe a slow process of stabilization.

Initially, it meant 'slowly becoming stable', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.