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.

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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

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verb

1. to act as a counterbalance

Other Word Forms

• uncounterbalanced adjective

Etymology

Origin of counterbalance

First recorded in 1570–80; counter- + balance

Example Sentences

There is certainly pain and grief involved in the Moriah Wilson story, but each such moment here is counterbalanced by another dazzling photo of the cyclist’s smiling face.

From The Wall Street Journal

“This factor acts as a counterbalance to geopolitical optimism, limiting the magnitude of upward moves.”

From Barron's

You might wonder why this negative effect isn’t counterbalanced by the more upbeat mood of investors whose favorite team has won.

From MarketWatch

This distant mass counterbalances the Local Group's gravity.

From Science Daily

Over the past year, some stores raised prices, cut costs and canceled plans to counterbalance more expensive imports.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• counteract
• outweigh
• rectify