balance
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: accounting
astrology
business
dance
dancing
finance
hobbies
human-sciences
law
lifestyle
mathematics
mysticism
nautical
philosophy
sciences
sports
statistics
transport
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁
Proto-Indo-European *dwi-
Proto-Italic *dwi-
Latin bi-
Latin lanx
Latin bilanx
Vulgar Latin *bilancia
Old French balancebor.
Middle English balaunce
English balance
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”).
Inflected forms:
form: balances
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: balaunce
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: balances
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: balancing
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: balanced
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: balanced
pos: verb
tags: past
form: no-table-tags
pos: verb
tags: table-tags
form: glossary
pos: verb
tags: inflection-template
form: balance
pos: verb
tags: infinitive
form: balance
pos: verb
tags: first-person
present
singular
form: balanced
pos: verb
tags: first-person
past
singular
form: balance
pos: verb
tags: present
second-person
singular
form: balancest
pos: verb
tags: archaic
present
second-person
singular
form: balanced
pos: verb
tags: past
second-person
singular
form: balancedst
pos: verb
tags: archaic
past
second-person
singular
form: balances
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: balanceth
pos: verb
tags: archaic
present
singular
third-person
form: balanced
pos: verb
tags: past
singular
third-person
form: balance
pos: verb
tags: plural
present
form: balanced
pos: verb
tags: past
plural
form: balance
pos: verb
tags: present
subjunctive
form: balanced
pos: verb
tags: past
subjunctive
form: balance
pos: verb
tags: imperative
present
form: -
pos: verb
tags: imperative
past
form: balancing
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: balanced
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: balaunce
pos: verb
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: A state in which opposing forces harmonise; equilibrium.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: But civilized man is quite a different animal, and when he wipes out an entire city or levels a forest, he is no longer working within the natural balance of things.
gloss: Mental equilibrium; mental health; calmness, a state of remaining clear-headed and unperturbed.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
gloss: Something of equal weight used to provide equilibrium; counterweight.
pos: noun
tags: countable
figuratively
literally
uncountable
examples: These weights are used as a balance for the overhanging verandah.
Blair thought he could provide a useful balance to Bush's policies.
gloss: A pair of scales.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: Awareness of both viewpoints or matters; neutrality; rationality; objectivity.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
gloss: The overall result of conflicting forces, opinions etc.; the influence which ultimately "weighs" more than others.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: The balance of power finally lay with the Royalist forces.
I think the balance of opinion is that we should get out while we're ahead.
The shift in the balance of power online has allowed anyone to publish to the world, from dispirited teenagers in south London to an anonymous cyber-dissident in a Middle East autocracy.
gloss: Apparent harmony in art (between differing colours, sounds, etc.).
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
gloss: A list accounting for the debits on one side, and for the credits on the other.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: The result of such a procedure; the difference between credit and debit of an account.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: I just need to nip to a bank and check my balance.
gloss: A device used to regulate the speed of a watch, clock etc.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: The remainder.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: The balance of the agreement remains in effect.
The invoice said he had only paid $50. The balance was $220.
Balance Luzon
gloss: Libra.
pos: noun
tags: countable
obsolete
uncountable
gloss: To bring (items) to an equipoise, as the scales of a balance by adjusting the weights.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
gloss: To make (concepts) agree.
pos: verb
tags: figuratively
transitive
examples: the Proteus Principle helps to qualify and balance the concepts of narrators and of narrative situations as previously developed in classical studies by G erard Genette and Franz Stanzel.
gloss: To hold (an object or objects) precariously; to support on a narrow base, so as to keep from falling.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: I balanced my mug of coffee on my knee.
The circus performer balances a plate on the end of a baton.
gloss: To compare in relative force, importance, value, etc.; to estimate.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: Ballance the Good and Evil of Things.
Mr. Morrison's ruling to reopen the station as a shelter was given after he had balanced the relative dangers of flooding and bombing.
gloss: To move toward, and then back from, reciprocally.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: to balance partners
gloss: To contract, as a sail, into a narrower compass.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: to balance the boom mainsail
gloss: To make the credits and debits of (an account) correspond.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: to balance a set of books
This final payment, or credit, balances the account.
I am very well satisfied that it is not in my power to balance accounts with my Maker.
gloss: To be in equilibrium.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
gloss: To have matching credits and debits.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
gloss: To weigh in a balance.
pos: verb
tags: obsolete
transitive
gloss: To hesitate or fluctuate.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
obsolete
Synonyms: balance
counterbalance
equilibrate
equilibrize
equipoise
poise
Antonyms: nonequilibrium
imbalance
unbalance
bias
favor
favour
partiality
partisanship
prejudice
unfairness
disequilibrate
overbalance
overpoise
misbalance
fall over
lose one's balance
Derived words: adjusted trial balance
analytical balance
balanced scorecard
balance of equities
balance of payments
balance of trade
t. b.
balance sheet
compar. b. s.
balance transfer
bank balance
closing balance
credit balance
current balance
debit balance
opening balance
trial balance
hang in the balance
keep one's balance
lose one's balance
strike a balance
throw off balance
tip the balance
weigh in the balance
balanceable
balanced → unb—d
imb—d
balancement
balance out
balancer
balance the books
balance the sheets
balance the ticket
balancing act
check and balance
counterbalance
disbalance
misbalance
outbalance
overbalance
rebalance
unbalance
unbalanceable
Translations: