Plateau (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

noun, plural pla·teaus, pla·teaux [pla-tohz or, especially British, plat-ohz]. /plæˈtoʊz or, especially British, ˈplæt oʊz/.
  1. a land area having a relatively level surface considerably raised above adjoining land on at least one side, and often cut by deep canyons.
  2. a period or state of little or no growth or decline: to reach a plateau in one's career.
  3. a period of little or no apparent progress in an individual's learning, marked by an inability to increase speed, reduce number of errors, etc., and indicated by a horizontal stretch in a learning curve or graph.
  4. a flat stand, as for a centerpiece, sometimes extending the full length of a table.
verb (used without object), pla·teaued, pla·teau·ing.
  1. to reach a state or level of little or no growth or decline, especially to stop increasing or progressing; remain at a stable level of achievement; level off: After a period of uninterrupted growth, sales began to plateau.
verb (used with object), pla·teaued, pla·teau·ing.
  1. to cause to remain at a stable level, especially to prevent from rising or progressing: Rising inflation plateaued sales income.
noun plural -eaus or -eaux (-əʊz)
  1. a wide mainly level area of elevated land
  2. a relatively long period of stability; levelling off
verb (intr)
  1. to remain at a stable level for a relatively long period
noun
  1. a state of central Nigeria, formed in 1976 from part of Benue-Plateau State: tin mining. Capital: Jos. Pop: 3 178 712 (2006). Area: 30 913 sq km (11 936 sq miles)
    Plateau (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

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