balance

[ bal-uhns ]

/ ˈbæl əns /

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See synonyms for: balance / balanced / balancing on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

something used to produce equilibrium; counterpoise.

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

a state of bodily equilibrium: He lost his balance and fell down the stairs.

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.

the remainder or rest: He carried what he could and left the balance for his brother to bring.

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

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

Accounting.

equality between the totals of the two sides of an account.
the difference between the debit total and the credit total of an account.
unpaid difference represented by the excess of debits over credits.

an adjustment of accounts.

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

preponderating weight: The balance of the blame is on your side.

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.

Dance. a balancing movement.

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

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

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

verb (used with object), bal·anced, bal·anc·ing.

to bring to or hold in equilibrium; poise: to balance a book on one's head.

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

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.

Accounting.

to add up the two sides of (an account) and determine the difference.
to make the necessary entries in (an account) so that the sums of the two sides will be equal.
to settle by paying what remains due on an account; equalize or adjust.

to weigh in a balance.

to estimate the relative weight or importance of; compare: to balance all the probabilities of a situation.

to serve as a counterpoise to; counterbalance; offset: The advantages more than balance the disadvantages.

Dance. to move in rhythm to and from: to balance one's partner.

verb (used without object), bal·anced, bal·anc·ing.

to have an equality or equivalence in weight, parts, etc.; be in equilibrium: The account doesn't balance. Do these scales balance?

Accounting. to reckon or adjust accounts.

to waver or hesitate: He would balance and temporize endlessly before reaching a decision.

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

OTHER WORDS FOR balance

3 poise, composure.

See synonyms for balance on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about balance

in the balance, with the outcome in doubt or suspense: While the jury deliberated, his fate rested in the balance.

on balance, considering all aspects: On balance, the new product is doing well.

Origin of balance

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

synonym study for balance

6. See remainder. 13. See symmetry.

OTHER WORDS FROM balance

bal·ance·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby balance

Balak, Balakirev, Balaklava, Balakovo, balalaika, balance, balance beam, balance bridge, balance control, balanced, balanced diet

Other definitions for balance (2 of 2)

balancé

[ bal-uhn-sey; French ba-lahn-sey ]

/ ˌbæl ənˈseɪ; French ba lɑ̃ˈseɪ /

noun, plural bal·an·cés

[bal-uhn-seyz; French ba-lahn-sey]. /ˌbæl ənˈseɪz; French ba lɑ̃ˈseɪ/. Ballet.

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.

Origin of balancé

<French, noun use of past participle of balancer to balance, swing, rock

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use balance in a sentence

If you received a partial payment or didn’t get all the money designated for a dependent child under 17, you can claim the balance on your 2020 return.
Tax season 2021: A tornado is coming|Michelle Singletary|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
There are also chairs that will give you a full-body workout while you sit and stare at your screen, like a balance ball chair.
Best desk chair for any home office|PopSci Commerce Team|February 11, 2021|Popular-Science
The CPUC is continuing to try to gather the remaining balance.
Utility Companies Owe Millions to This State Regulatory Agency. The Problem? The Agency Can’t Track What It’s Owed.|by Scott Morris, Bay City News Foundation|February 10, 2021|ProPublica
The best way to dominate local search is to strike the perfect balance between optimization and quality.
A small business’ step-by-step guide to dominating local search in 2021|Joseph Dyson|February 10, 2021|Search Engine Watch

Adding in a lean meat like turkey jerky to increase the protein would achieve a better nutrient balance.
These Are Our Editors' Go-To Ski Lunches|Ula Chrobak|February 9, 2021|Outside Online
He was trying, I think, to demonstrate balance and equivalence.
Memo to Cops: Criticisms Aren’t Attacks|Michael Tomasky|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For instance, how do you balance honesty with any protective urge?
Daphne Merkin on Lena Dunham, Book Criticism, and Self-Examination|Mindy Farabee|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Men and women balance each other out, and we have to get to a point where we are comfortable with appreciating each other.
The Beyoncé Manifesto: Quotes on Nihilism and Feminism|Amy Zimmerman|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We need to strike a balance between creating false alarms and letting any urgent medical matters fall through the cracks.
Did This Flu Vaccine Kill 13?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Likewise, it was the attempt to balance the power of rival European states that led to the conflict.
‘America in Retreat’: Why Neo-Isolationism Exploded Under Obama and What We Can Do About It|James Kirchick|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A constant sense of easy balance should be developed through poising exercises.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
And as she hesitated between obedience to one and duty toward the other, her life, her love and future was in the balance.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
He was to pay one third of the amount before the book went to press, the balance he was to pay within a reasonable time.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
Government grants amount to about two-thirds of the income, the balance being raised by public subscription and from fees.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
For hours the issue hung in the balance, and at last even the stubborn Lefbvre began to think of retreat.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for balance (1 of 2)

balance

/ (ˈbæləns) /

noun

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 horizontalSee also microbalance

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)

a state of equilibrium

something that brings about such a state

equilibrium of the body; steadinessto lose one's balance

emotional stability; calmness of mind

harmony in the parts of a wholebalance in an artistic composition

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

the power to influence or controlhe held the balance of power

something that remains or is leftlet me have the balance of what you owe me

accounting

equality of debit and credit totals in an account
a difference between such totals

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

a balancing movement

short for spring balance

in the balance in an uncertain or undecided condition

on balance after weighing up all the factors

strike a balance to make a compromise

verb

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

(intr) to be or come into equilibrium

(tr) to bring into or hold in equilibrium

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

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

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

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

(tr) accounting

to compute the credit and debit totals of (an account) in order to determine the difference
to equalize the credit and debit totals of (an account) by making certain entries
to settle or adjust (an account) by paying any money due

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

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

Derived forms of balance

balanceable, adjective

Word Origin for balance

C13: from Old French, from Vulgar Latin bilancia (unattested), from Late Latin bilanx having two scalepans, from bi- 1 + lanx scale

British Dictionary definitions for balance (2 of 2)

Balance

/ (ˈbæləns) /

noun

the Balance the constellation Libra, the seventh sign of the zodiac

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for balance

balance

[ băl′əns ]

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.

Other Idioms and Phrases with balance

balance

In addition to the idiom beginning with balance

balance the books

also see:

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

balance

OTHER WORDS FOR balance

Idioms about balance

Origin of balance

synonym study for balance

OTHER WORDS FROM balance

Words nearby balance

Other definitions for balance (2 of 2)

Origin of balancé

Words related to balance

How to use balance in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for balance (1 of 2)

Derived forms of balance

Word Origin for balance

British Dictionary definitions for balance (2 of 2)

Scientific definitions for balance

Other Idioms and Phrases with balance