on balance

Idioms  

1. Taking everything into consideration, as in On balance I think we've had a very good year. This expression, which in effect means “balancing all the factors involved,” was first recorded in 1719.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

on balance

I need to acknowledge that this indicator has been in overvalued territory for several years now, and yet the stock market on balance has continued to go up.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026

He added: "It's not up there, yet, with the Harry Potter or Stranger Things prequels but, on balance, the Game of Thrones franchise has yet another worthwhile and lucrative spin-off on its hands."

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

When that happens, it usually means that insiders on balance are not confident that the market will recover quickly enough to make waiting to sell worth their while.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

Overall, the estimated value of portfolio companies that haven’t been sold totaled $3.91 trillion as of September 2025, locking up 74% of all North American private-equity assets on balance sheets, according to Preqin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

To begin with, there are the demands on balance, coordination, and reflex.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand