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

Explanation

Looking for a really fancy way to say "balance" or "equilibrium"? Then stand up straight and try equipoise on for size. When broken down into its etymological parts, equipoise is simply equi, meaning "equal," plus "poise." Equal poise: a balance of weight, forces or interests. So tight-rope walkers have excellent equipoise, as do balance beam gymnasts. And when the U.S. Senate is made up of half Republicans, half Democrats? There should be some equipoise of power, but that usually just leads to stalemate.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

equipoise equipoised

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

I hoped that during the next decade, the pendulum would swing back from 9/11 overreach and regain some semblance of equipoise.

From Salon ● Apr. 21, 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

In a capital packed with bloviators and arm-twisters, Jackson maintains an equipoise of soft-spoken graciousness, combining intellectual clarity with iron resolve.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2024

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

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

It’s the sort of thing those who’ve avoided playing Minecraft but still find it intriguing should pay attention to—an exquisite, LEGO-like builder deftly equipoised between structured and freeform play.

From Time ● Dec. 19, 2016

This calling was too precarious to suit his equipoised mind.

From Sages and Heroes of the American Revolution by L. Carroll Judson

The “kettle” was equipoised by lead fixed round its mouth.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 5 "Dinard" to "Dodsworth" by Various

July 3.—Whoever wishes to know how, in Mr. Seward's mind, right and law are equipoised, should read the correspondence between the State Department and the Attorney-General in the case of a criminal runaway from Saxony.

From Diary from November 12, 1862, to October 18, 1863 by Adam G. de Gurowski, Count

The Kentuckian's pulsations seem to be regulated by a gigantic and equipoised animal impulse.

From The Kentuckian in New-York, Volume I (of 2) or, The Adventures of Three Southerns by William Alexander Caruthers