balance
/ˈbæləns/ noun, verb, proper noun
Forms balances balancing balanced balancest balancedst balanceth the Balance balaunce
- noun (uncountable) A state in which opposing forces harmonise; equilibrium.
- noun (uncountable) Mental equilibrium; mental health; calmness, a state of remaining clear-headed and unperturbed.
- noun (literally or figuratively) Something of equal weight used to provide equilibrium; counterweight. “These weights are used as a balance for the overhanging verandah.”
- noun A pair of scales.
- noun (uncountable) Awareness of both viewpoints or matters; neutrality; rationality; objectivity.
- noun (uncountable) The overall result of conflicting forces, opinions etc.; the influence which ultimately "weighs" more than others. “The balance of power finally lay with the Royalist forces.”
- noun (uncountable) Apparent harmony in art (between differing colours, sounds, etc.).
- noun (accounting) A list accounting for the debits on one side, and for the credits on the other.
- verb (transitive) To bring (items) to an equipoise, as the scales of a balance by adjusting the weights.
- verb (intransitive or reflexive) To move while remaining balanced on a narrow or precarious support (e.g., a wire, ledge or rope). “She balanced along the wire while the crowd watched in rapt attention.”
- verb (transitive, figurative) To make (concepts) agree.
- verb (transitive) To hold (an object or objects) precariously; to support on a narrow base, so as to keep from falling. “I balanced my mug of coffee on my knee.”
- verb (transitive) To compare in relative force, importance, value, etc.; to estimate.
- verb (transitive, dance) To move toward, and then back from, reciprocally. “to balance partners”
- verb (transitive, nautical) To contract, as a sail, into a narrower compass. “to balance the boom mainsail”
- verb (transitive) To make the credits and debits of (an account) correspond. “to balance a set of books”
- proper noun (astronomy, astrology) The constellation and zodiacal sign Libra.
Synonyms
equilibrium pair of scales set of scales scales weighing machine weighbridge disinterest even-handedness fairness impartiality neutrality nonpartisanship account equilibrate counterbalance equilibrize equipoise poise proportion proportionality remainder residual residue residuum rest Libra Libra the Balance Libra the Scales symmetry symmetricalness
Antonyms
nonequilibrium imbalance unbalance bias favor favour partiality partisanship prejudice unfairness disequilibrate overbalance
Etymology
From Middle English balaunce, from Old French balance, from Late Latin *bilancia, from (accusative form of) Latin bilanx (“two-scaled”), from bi- + lanx (“plate, scale”).
Displaced the word — Old English wǣġ akin to Modern English: wey from Proto-West Germanic *wāgu (“scales; weight”).
Calque of Latin Libra.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An apparatus for weighing.
- noun Act of weighing mentally; comparison; estimate.
- verb To bring to an equipoise, as the scales of a balance by adjusting the weights; to weigh in a balance.
- verb To support on a narrow base, so as to keep from falling; as, to balance a plate on the end of a cane; to balance one's self on a tight rope.
Etymology [OE. balaunce, F. balance, fr. L. bilan, bilancis, having two scales; bis twice (akin to E. two) + lanx plate, scale.]
Etymology [From Balance, n.: cf. F. balancer.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “balance”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details