stasis

/ˈsteɪsɪs/

When nothing's happening, that's stasis. A town government might be stuck in a period of stasis, unable to come to a decision about a controversial issue.

Sometimes opposing forces are equal in power, and since neither is stronger than the other, the result is a state where neither can gain any headway. This state is called stasis, and it is basically a stoppage of movement. In medicine, stasis describes the stopping of any bodily fluids from flowing, usually by an obstruction. The same idea is seen in literary stasis, where there is no forward movement in a story.

Definitions of stasis

1. noun

   inactivity resulting from a static balance between opposing forces
   type of:

   inaction, inactiveness, inactivity

   the state of being inactive
2. noun

   an abnormal state in which the normal flow of a liquid (such as blood) is slowed or stopped
   type of:

   pathology

   any deviation from a healthy or normal condition