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Showing results for counterbalance. Search instead for Counterbalancing.
Synonyms

counterbalance

American  
[koun-ter-bal-uhns, koun-ter-bal-uhns] / ˈkaʊn tərˌbæl əns, ˌkaʊn tərˈbæl əns /

noun

  1. a weight balancing another weight; an equal weight, power, or influence acting in opposition; counterpoise.

verb (used with or without object)

counterbalanced, counterbalancing

  1. to act against or oppose with an equal weight, force, or influence; offset.

    Synonyms:
    balance, rectify, countervail, correct
counterbalance British  

noun

  1. a weight or force that balances or offsets another

"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

verb

  1. to act as a counterbalance

"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

Other Word Forms

  • uncounterbalanced adjective

Etymology

Origin of counterbalance

First recorded in 1570–80; counter- + balance

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Yet fears of layoffs might still act as a counterbalance.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026

To counterbalance the hefty AI spending, Amazon has cut back in other areas, most notably among its white-collar workforce.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

Societies would need to eliminate all emissions they reasonably can, then counterbalance the "residual" emissions that cannot be removed.

From Science Daily • Nov. 20, 2025

"The recent rally was extremely steep, so this is the counterbalance."

From Barron's • Nov. 5, 2025

To counterbalance the effect of these new political allies, the authorities also put a handful of common-law prisoners in our section.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.