equipoise

American  

[ee-kwuh-poiz, ek-wuh-] / ˈi kwəˌpɔɪz, ˈɛk wə- /

noun

1. an equal distribution of weight; even balance; equilibrium.

2. a counterpoise.

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verb (used with object)

equipoised, equipoising

1. to equal or offset in weight; balance.

equipoise British  

/ ˈɛkwɪˌpɔɪz /

noun

1. even balance of weight or other forces; equilibrium

2. a counterbalance; counterpoise

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verb

1. (tr) to offset or balance in weight or force; balance

Etymology

Origin of equipoise

First recorded in 1625–35; equi- + poise ¹

Example Sentences

As Sam Sacks writes of this posthumously published collection of short stories, “Segal never loses her equipoise, or her sense of humor, in these most extreme confrontations with mortality.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

This equipoise held for four very productive years, but there comes a moment in all love stories when one partner gets fidgety and starts to pull away.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2025

In medicine, when there is genuine uncertainty as to whether the benefits of a treatment outweigh the harms - called equipoise - some ethicists argue there's a moral obligation to scientifically study such treatments.

From BBC • Dec. 8, 2024

Often we think that if we are not happy, it's our problem, and we just have to show more grit, or the new terminology, more "mindfulness," and we'd achieve greater equipoise.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2023

Certainly much of Katherine’s equipoise came from her father, Joshua.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly