equilibrium
[ee-kwuh-lib-ree-uhm, ek-wuh-]
- a state of rest or balance due to the equal action of opposing forces.
- equal balance between any powers, influences, etc.; equality of effect.
- mental or emotional balance; equanimity: The pressures of the situation caused her to lose her equilibrium.
- Chemistry. the condition existing when a chemical reaction and its reverse reaction proceed at equal rates.
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Origin of equilibrium
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
stabilitysymmetrycalmnessserenitycomposurecounterpoiseequanimitycoolnessstasispoisereststeadinesscalmcounterbalancepolishequipoisecoolExamples from the Web for equilibrium
Contemporary Examples
But how many of us, thus sunk in despair, have not been vaulted back to equilibrium by another look at Groundhog Day?
Since 1989, this arrangement has provided a workable degree of stability, but one based on an equilibrium of unstable elements.
Lebanese politics for more than a decade have been characterized by an equilibrium of unstable elements.
But by 2009, Aaron seemed to her to be regaining his equilibrium.
The key thing here is that the use of handguns in gang conflicts is at least in part an equilibrium problem.
Historical Examples
She was not going to have the equilibrium of her party disturbed, and that was all about it.
Quaint CourtshipsVarious
It simply must be done to preserve the equilibrium and avoid a spill.
Flying MachinesW.J. Jackman and Thos. H. Russell
The equilibrium which had shown a tendency to be established in her, was upset.
Therese RaquinEmile Zola
His equilibrium was upset, he again trembled with violent fever, as formerly.
Therese RaquinEmile Zola
We have seen the worst of the English sparrow; he has now found his equilibrium.
The Meaning of EvolutionSamuel Christian Schmucker
equilibrium
- a stable condition in which forces cancel one another
- a state or feeling of mental balance; composure
- any unchanging condition or state of a body, system, etc, resulting from the balance or cancelling out of the influences or processes to which it is subjectedSee thermodynamic equilibrium
- physics a state of rest or uniform motion in which there is no resultant force on a body
- chem the condition existing when a chemical reaction and its reverse reaction take place at equal rates
- physics the condition of a system that has its total energy distributed among its component parts in the statistically most probable manner
- physiol a state of bodily balance, maintained primarily by special receptors in the inner ear
- the economic condition in which there is neither excess demand nor excess supply in a market
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Word Origin
C17: from Latin aequilībrium, from aequi- equi- + lībra pound, balance
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for equilibrium
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
equilibrium
(ē′kwə-lĭb′rē-əm, ĕk′wə-)- A condition in which all influences acting upon it are canceled by others, resulting in a stable, balanced, or unchanging system.
- The state of a chemical reaction in which its forward and reverse reactions occur at equal rates so that the concentration of the reactants and products does not change with time.dynamic equilibrium
- Mental or emotional balance.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
equilibrium
[ē′kwə-lĭb′rē-əm]
- Physics The state of a body or physical system that is at rest or in constant and unchanging motion. A system that is in equilibrium shows no tendency to alter over time.♦ If a system is in static equilibrium, there are no net forces and no net torque in the system.♦ If a system is in stable equilibrium, small disturbances to the system cause only a temporary change before it returns to its original state.
- Chemistry The state of a reversible chemical reaction in which its forward and reverse reactions occur at equal rates so that the concentration of the reactants and products remains the same.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
equilibrium
In economics, a state of the economy in which for every commodity or service (including labor), total supply and demand are exactly equal. Equilibrium is never actually attained; it is approximated by movements of the market.
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Note
Keynesian economics departed from conventional economic theory in demonstrating that economic equilibrium and full employment need not occur together. Therefore, as a system tends toward equilibrium, it might not eliminate unemployment.
equilibrium
A condition in which all influences acting cancel each other, so that a static or balanced situation results. In physics, equilibrium results from the cancellation of forces acting on an object. In chemistry, it occurs when chemical reactions are proceeding in such a way that the amount of each substance in a system remains the same. (See chemical equilibrium.)
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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.