'destabilize' originates from the prefix 'de-' meaning 'reverse' and the word 'stabilize' from Latin 'stabilis' meaning 'firm or stable'.

'stabilis' transformed into the French word 'stabiliser,' and eventually became the modern English word 'stabilize,' with 'de-' added to indicate reversal.

Initially, it meant 'to reverse stability,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.