Jump To:

• balance
  balance

  noun

  a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc.
• balancé
  balancé

  noun

  a swaying step performed in place in which the weight is lightly shifted from one foot to the other, the dancer sinking down on the heel of the foot to which the body is shifting, with flexed knees.
• Balance
  Balance

  noun

  the constellation Libra, the seventh sign of the zodiac

Trivia Time

Which symbol commonly represents balance?

Test Your Knowledge

balance

¹ American  

[bal-uhns] / ˈbæl əns /

noun

• balances
  plural

1. 

   a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc.

2. something used to produce equilibrium; counterpoise.

3. mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc.

   Synonyms:

   composure, poise

4. a state of bodily equilibrium.

   He lost his balance and fell down the stairs.

5. an instrument for determining weight, typically by the equilibrium of a bar with a fulcrum at the center, from each end of which is suspended a scale or pan, one holding an object of known weight, and the other holding the object to be weighed.

6. the remainder or rest.

   He carried what he could and left the balance for his brother to bring.

7. the power or ability to decide an outcome by throwing one's strength, influence, support, or the like, to one side or the other.

8. (in winemaking) the degree to which all the attributes of a wine are in harmony, with none either too prominent or deficient.

9. Accounting.

   1. equality between the totals of the two sides of an account.

   2. the difference between the debit total and the credit total of an account.

   3. unpaid difference represented by the excess of debits over credits.

10. an adjustment of accounts.

11. the act of balancing; comparison as to weight, amount, importance, etc.; estimate.

12. preponderating weight.

    The balance of the blame is on your side.

13. Fine Arts. composition or placement of elements of design, as figures, forms, or colors, in such a manner as to produce an aesthetically pleasing or harmoniously integrated whole.

14. Dance. a balancing movement.

15. Also called balance wheel. Horology. a wheel that oscillates against the tension of a hairspring to regulate the beats of a watch or clock.

16. Astronomy, Astrology. Balance, the constellation or sign of Libra; Scales.

17. Audio. (in a stereophonic sound system) the comparative loudness of two speakers, usually set by a control balancecontrol on the amplifier or receiver.

---

verb (used with object)

• balances,
  present (3rd person singular)
• balanced,
  past participle,  past
• balancing
  present participle

1. to bring to or hold in equilibrium; poise.

   to balance a book on one's head.

2. to arrange, adjust, or proportion the parts of symmetrically.

3. to be equal or proportionate to.

   I'm always happy when cash on hand balances expected expenses.

   One side of an equation must balance the other.

4. Accounting.

   1. to add up the two sides of (an account) and determine the difference.

   2. to make the necessary entries in (an account) so that the sums of the two sides will be equal.

   3. to settle by paying what remains due on an account; equalize or adjust.

5. to weigh in a balance.

6. to estimate the relative weight or importance of; compare.

   to balance all the probabilities of a situation.

7. to serve as a counterpoise to; counterbalance; offset.

   The advantages more than balance the disadvantages.

8. Dance. to move in rhythm to and from.

   to balance one's partner.

verb (used without object)

• balances,
  present (3rd person singular)
• balanced,
  past participle,  past
• balancing
  present participle

1. to have an equality or equivalence in weight, parts, etc.; be in equilibrium.

   The account doesn't balance.

   Do these scales balance?

2. Accounting. to reckon or adjust accounts.

3. to waver or hesitate.

   He would balance and temporize endlessly before reaching a decision.

4. Dance. to move forward and backward or in opposite directions.

idioms

1. in the balance, with the outcome in doubt or suspense.

   While the jury deliberated, his fate rested in the balance.

2. on balance, considering all aspects.

   On balance, the new product is doing well.

balancé ² American  

[bal-uhn-say, ba-lahn-say] / ˌbæl ənˈseɪ, ba lɑ̃ˈseɪ /

noun

Ballet.

• balancés
  plural

1. a swaying step performed in place in which the weight is lightly shifted from one foot to the other, the dancer sinking down on the heel of the foot to which the body is shifting, with flexed knees.

---

Balance ¹ British  

/ ˈbæləns /

noun

1. the constellation Libra, the seventh sign of the zodiac

---

balance ² British  

/ ˈbæləns /

noun

1. a weighing device, generally consisting of a horizontal beam pivoted at its centre, from the ends of which two pans are suspended. The substance to be weighed is placed in one pan and known weights are placed in the other until the beam returns to the horizontal See also microbalance

2. an imagined device for assessing events, actions, motives, etc, in relation to each other (esp in the phrases weigh in the balance , hang in the balance )

3. a state of equilibrium

4. something that brings about such a state

5. equilibrium of the body; steadiness

   to lose one's balance

6. emotional stability; calmness of mind

7. harmony in the parts of a whole

   balance in an artistic composition

8. the act of weighing factors, quantities, etc, against each other

9. the power to influence or control

   he held the balance of power

10. something that remains or is left

    let me have the balance of what you owe me

11. accounting

    1. equality of debit and credit totals in an account

    2. a difference between such totals

12. chem the state of a chemical equation in which the number, kind, electrical charges, etc, of the atoms on opposite sides are equal

13. a balancing movement

14. short for spring balance

15. in an uncertain or undecided condition

16. after weighing up all the factors

17. to make a compromise

---

verb

1. (tr) to weigh in or as if in a balance

2. (intr) to be or come into equilibrium

3. (tr) to bring into or hold in equilibrium

4. (tr) to assess or compare the relative weight, importance, etc, of

5. (tr) to act so as to equalize; be equal to

6. (tr) to compose or arrange so as to create a state of harmony

7. (tr) to bring (a chemical or mathematical equation) into balance

8. (tr) accounting

   1. to compute the credit and debit totals of (an account) in order to determine the difference

   2. to equalize the credit and debit totals of (an account) by making certain entries

   3. to settle or adjust (an account) by paying any money due

9. (intr) (of a business account, balance sheet, etc) to have the debit and credit totals equal

10. to match or counter (one's dancing partner or his or her steps) by moving towards and away from him or her

balance Scientific  

/ băl′əns /

1. To adjust a chemical equation so that the number of each type of atom and the total charge on the reactant (left-hand) side of the equation matches the number and charge on the product (right-hand) side of the equation.

---

balance More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing balance

• checks and balances
• hang in the balance
• off balance
• on balance
• redress the balance
• strike a balance
• tip the balance

---

Synonym Usage

See remainder. See symmetry.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• balanceable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• balances
  plural
• balancés
  plural

Participles

• balancing
  present
• balanced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• balance
  simple
• balances
  simple
• have balanced
  perfect
• has balanced
  perfect
• am balancing
  progressive
• are balancing
  progressive
• is balancing
  progressive
• have been balancing
  perfect progressive
• has been balancing
  perfect progressive

Past

• balanced
  simple
• had balanced
  perfect
• was balancing
  progressive
• were balancing
  progressive
• had been balancing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will balance
  simple
• will have balanced
  perfect
• will be balancing
  progressive
• will have been balancing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of balance¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English balaunce, from Anglo-French; Old French balance from Vulgar Latin balancia (unrecorded), variant of bilancia (unrecorded), equivalent to Late Latin bilanc- (stem of bilanx “with double scales,” from Latin bi- bi- ¹ + lanx “metal dish, pan of a pair of scales”) + -ia -ia

Origin of balancé²

First recorded in 1765–75; from French, noun use of past participle of balancer “to balance, swing, rock”

Explanation

Balance is having the right amount — not too much or too little — of any quality, which leads to harmony or evenness. You might admire the balance someone has achieved between working hard and having fun. The noun form of balance can also describe finances: If you're making monthly payments on a loan, the total amount you still owe is the balance. Balance is also the physical steadiness that keeps you on your feet. You balance your weight between both sides of your body. Balance has a verb form that has several shades of meaning, typically involving one thing correctly weighed against another, like when you balance your budget.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

balance Balance balances balanced balancing

The median balance for those with money remaining at age 95 is $792,000—meaning the retiree would lose just $208,000 over a 30-year period if the baseline conditions held fast.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Needham starts coverage of Pasqal at Buy, with analyst David Williams pointing to the quantum developer’s commercial traction and strong balance sheet.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

And the median balance for a retiree with money left over in this scenario was $207,000.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Companies are structuring chip and electricity purchases as future leases rather than owned assets, so the liabilities don’t show up on the balance sheet.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

Then she lifted her trunk and shifted forward suddenly, throwing Karli off balance.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo

Balance training isn’t meant to replace regular exercise: the average adult still needs to do aerobic exercise for cardiovascular health, stretching for flexibility and strength training to build muscles and bone density.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

It was meant to be brief, a six-month on-ramp to a permanent, insurer-run benefit through Medicare’s Part D drug plans, called Balance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

Puma are one behind with 11, with other brands such as New Balance making up the numbers.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

It’s a good lesson for anyone with dough: Balance your own needs with the needs of others, because you never know when the tide will go out.

From MarketWatch ● May 20, 2026

Balance is everything, riding out time like a helmless sheep-boat, keel to hellward, mast upreared to prick out heaven’s eye.

From "Grendel" by John Gardner

It builds and fortifies institutions that require political actors to reason, argue and compromise with one another—checks and balances, federalism, bicameralism and so on.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

"These prices are going to hit households hard. January is already a difficult month for many, with cold weather and bank balances still recovering from Christmas," he said.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

"Understanding how the brain balances energy supply and consumption may help explain what makes biological intelligence so efficient," explains lead investigator Yusuke Takahashi.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

Shin balances her safe-haven portfolio with extra cash flow from her side job as a fitness instructor.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

Darrell jumps onto a chair and balances for a split second before the chair falls right over and he lands on his behind.

From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender

Mr. Blake contributes his “Clues,” which originally appeared on the drummer’s 2012 recording “The Eleventh Hour,” and the trio takes a groove-heavy approach balanced by Ms. Davis’s reference to Morton Feldman’s “Nature Piece 5.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

For about a year Helen balanced her job with raising her then three and four-year-old children - while also caring for Clive.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Researchers then adjusted the voltage until the electrostatic effect exactly balanced the gravitational effect, preventing the torsion balance from turning.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

It’s still just a fraction of an $18.4-billion spending plan this year — which is balanced against $16.8 billion in revenue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Thorn appeared with a plate full of chocolate chip cookies and balanced three orange fizzy drinks in her spindly arms before handing them to Seven and Valley.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

That refers to the balancing act that’s required as estimates shift between different quarters to reflect how the Nvidia opportunity is more linked to next year.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

But in the campaign, the balancing act proved impossible.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

This balancing of plot and mood, often in exotic locations, has led to obvious comparisons with Graham Greene.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Swinney said such guidance might be a way of balancing the rapid expansion of such centres with national energy and climate goals.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

She’s balancing six backpacks while simultaneously tugging a rolling suitcase.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• adjust
• harmonize
• offset
• readjust
• stabilize
• weigh