balance of power

American  

noun

1. a distribution and opposition of forces among nations such that no single nation is strong enough to assert its will or dominate all the others.

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balance of power British  

noun

1. the distribution of power among countries so that no one nation can seriously threaten the fundamental interests of another

2. any similar distribution of power or influence

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balance of power Cultural  

1. A state of peace that results when rival nations are equally powerful and therefore have no good reason to wage war.

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Etymology

Origin of balance of power

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

balance of power

As more shoppers buy the store brands, the balance of power between retailers and manufacturers keeps shifting in the retailers’ favor, analysts say.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Canberra understood "the gravity of maintaining a favorable balance of power in the region" as he met with his Australian counterpart Richard Marles in Washington on Wednesday.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

The balance of power in open-weight models is much more centralized.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

“For Iran, the Strait of Hormuz has become a strategic lever for deterrence, maintaining the regional balance of power, and reshaping the security rules in the Persian Gulf,” said Mostafa Najafi, a Tehran-based security analyst.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

In so doing, he successfully shifts the balance of power away from the adults and toward himself.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell