What does balance mean?
Definitions for balance
ˈbæl ənsbal·ance
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word balance.
Princeton's WordNet
balancenoun
a state of equilibrium
balancenoun
equality between the totals of the credit and debit sides of an account
proportion, proportionality, balancenoun
harmonious arrangement or relation of parts or elements within a whole (as in a design)
"in all perfectly beautiful objects there is found the opposition of one part to another and a reciprocal balance"- John Ruskin
balance, equilibrium, equipoise, counterbalancenoun
equality of distribution
remainder, balance, residual, residue, residuum, restnoun
something left after other parts have been taken away
"there was no remainder"; "he threw away the rest"; "he took what he wanted and I got the balance"
balancenoun
the difference between the totals of the credit and debit sides of an account
Libra, Balancenoun
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Libra
Libra, Libra the Balance, Balance, Libra the Scalesnoun
the seventh sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about September 23 to October 22
symmetry, symmetricalness, correspondence, balancenoun
(mathematics) an attribute of a shape or relation; exact reflection of form on opposite sides of a dividing line or plane
counterweight, counterbalance, counterpoise, balance, equalizer, equalisernoun
a weight that balances another weight
balance wheel, balancenoun
a wheel that regulates the rate of movement in a machine; especially a wheel oscillating against the hairspring of a timepiece to regulate its beat
balanceverb
a scale for weighing; depends on pull of gravity
balance, equilibrate, equilibrize, equilibriseverb
bring into balance or equilibrium
"She has to balance work and her domestic duties"; "balance the two weights"
balanceverb
compute credits and debits of an account
poise, balanceverb
hold or carry in equilibrium
balanceverb
be in equilibrium
"He was balancing on one foot"
Wiktionary
balancenoun
a state in which opposing forces harmonise; equilibrium
balancenoun
mental equilibrium; mental health; calmness, a state of remaining clear-headed and unperturbed
balancenoun
something of equal weight used to provide equilibrium (literally or figuratively); counterweight
balancenoun
a pair of scales
balancenoun
awareness of both viewpoints or matters; neutrality; rationality; objectivity
balancenoun
the overall result of conflicting forces, opinions etc.; the influence which ultimately "weighs" more than others
balancenoun
apparent harmony in art (between differing colours, sounds, etc.)
balancenoun
a list accounting for the debits on one side, and for the credits on the other.
balancenoun
the result of such a procedure; the difference between credit and debit of an account.
I just need to nip to a bank and check my balance.
balanceverb
to make (items) weigh up.
balanceverb
(figurative) to make (concepts) agree.
balanceverb
to hold (an object or objects) precariously.
balanceverb
to make the credits and debits of (an account) correspond.
balanceverb
to be in equilibrium.
balanceverb
to have matching credits and debits.
balancenoun
a device used to regulate the speed of a watch, clock etc.
balancenoun
Libra
Etymology: From balance, from *, from (accusative form of) bilanx, from bi- + lanx.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Balancenoun
1.One of the six simple powers in mechanicks, used principally for determining the difference of weight in heavy bodies. It is of several forms. Ephraim Chambers
Etymology: balance, Fr. bilanx, Lat.
A balance of power, either without or within a state, is best conceived by considering what the nature of a balance is. It supposes three things; first, the part which is held, together with the hand that holds it; and then the two scales, with whatever is weighed therein. Jonathan Swift.
For when on ground the burden’d balance lies,
The empty part is lifted up the higher. John Davies.I have in equal balance justly weighed,
What wrong our arms may do, what wrongs we suffer:
Griefs heavier than our offences. William Shakespeare, Henry IV.Comfort arises not from others being miserable, but from this inference upon the balance, that we suffer only the lot of nature. Roger L'Estrange, Fables.
Upon a fair balance of the advantages on either side, it will appear, that the rules of the gospel are more powerful means of conviction than such message. Francis Atterbury.
Care being taken, that the exportation exceed in value the importation; and then the balance of trade must of necessity be returned in coin or bullion. Francis Bacon, Adv. to Sir G. Villiers.
Love, hope, and joy, fair pleasure’s smiling train,
Hate, fear, and grief, the family of pain;
These mixed with art, and to due bounds confin’d,
Make and maintain the balance of the mind. Alexander Pope.It is but supposing that all watches, whilst the balance beats, think; and it is sufficiently proved, that my watch thought all last night. John Locke.
To Balanceverb
Etymology: valancer, Fr.
If men would but balance the good and the evil of things, they would not venture soul and body for a little dirty interest. Roger L'Estrange, Fables.
Heav’n that hath plac’d this island to give law,
To balance Europe, and her states to awe. Edmund Waller.The attraction of the glass is balanced, and rendered ineffectual by the contrary attraction of the liquor. Isaac Newton, Opt.
Judging is, balancing an account, and determining on which side the odds lie. John Locke.
Give him leave
To balance the account of Blenheim’s day. Matthew Prior.Though I am very well satisfied, that it is not in my power to balance accounts with my Maker, I am resolved, however, to turn all my endeavours that way. Joseph Addison, Spectator.
To Balanceverb
To hesitate; to fluctuate between equal motives, as a balance plays when charged with equal weights.
Were the satisfaction of lust, and the joys of heaven, offered at any one’s present possession, he would not balance, or err in the determination of his choice. John Locke.
Since there is nothing that can offend, I see not why you should balance a moment about printing it. Francis Atterbury, to Pope.
ChatGPT
balance
Balance is a state of equilibrium or stability, where different elements are arranged in proportion or positioned evenly. It can also refer to mental or emotional stability, as well as the state of having one's income and expenditure equal to maintain financial stability. In broader terms, balance can be understood as the state of maintaining harmony among various factors or elements.
Webster Dictionary
Balancenoun
an apparatus for weighing
Balancenoun
act of weighing mentally; comparison; estimate
Balancenoun
equipoise between the weights in opposite scales
Balancenoun
the state of being in equipoise; equilibrium; even adjustment; steadiness
Balancenoun
an equality between the sums total of the two sides of an account; as, to bring one's accounts to a balance; -- also, the excess on either side; as, the balance of an account
Balancenoun
a balance wheel, as of a watch, or clock. See Balance wheel (in the Vocabulary)
Balancenoun
the constellation Libra
Balancenoun
the seventh sign in the Zodiac, called Libra, which the sun enters at the equinox in September
Balancenoun
a movement in dancing. See Balance, v. i., S
Balancenoun
to bring to an equipoise, as the scales of a balance by adjusting the weights; to weigh in a balance
Balancenoun
to support on a narrow base, so as to keep from falling; as, to balance a plate on the end of a cane; to balance one's self on a tight rope
Balancenoun
to equal in number, weight, force, or proportion; to counterpoise, counterbalance, counteract, or neutralize
Balancenoun
to compare in relative force, importance, value, etc.; to estimate
Balancenoun
to settle and adjust, as an account; to make two accounts equal by paying the difference between them
Balancenoun
to make the sums of the debits and credits of an account equal; -- said of an item; as, this payment, or credit, balances the account
Balancenoun
to arrange accounts in such a way that the sum total of the debits is equal to the sum total of the credits; as, to balance a set of books
Balancenoun
to move toward, and then back from, reciprocally; as, to balance partners
Balancenoun
to contract, as a sail, into a narrower compass; as, to balance the boom mainsail
Balanceverb
to have equal weight on each side; to be in equipoise; as, the scales balance
Balanceverb
to fluctuate between motives which appear of equal force; to waver; to hesitate
Balanceverb
to move toward a person or couple, and then back
Wikidata
Balance
Balance is the tenth studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen. Released in 1995, it is the final of four albums to feature Sammy Hagar as the band's lead vocalist. During the recording of Balance and its subsequent Ambulance Tour, Van Halen's second incarnation broke up. Regarding this time period, in 1997, Eddie Van Halen told Guitar World Magazine "There had been a variety of conflicts brewing between Sammy and the band since I quit drinking on October 2, 1994... It got so bad that I actually started drinking again."
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Balance
bal′ans, n. an instrument for weighing, usually formed of two dishes or scales hanging from a beam supported in the middle: act of weighing two things: equality or just proportion of weight or power, as the balance of power: the sum required to make the two sides of an account equal, hence the surplus, or the sum due on an account: what is needed to produce equilibrium, a counterpoise: (watchmaking) a contrivance which regulates the speed of a clock or watch.—v.t. to weigh in a balance: to counterpoise: to compare: to settle, as an account, to examine and test accounts in book-keeping, to make the debtor and creditor sides of an account agree.—v.i. to have equal weight or power, &c.: to hesitate or fluctuate.—p.adj. Bal′anced, poised so as to preserve equilibrium: well arranged, stable.—ns. Bal′ancer, an acrobat; Bal′ance-sheet, a sheet of paper showing a summary and balance of accounts; Bal′ance-wheel, a wheel in a watch or chronometer which regulates the beat or rate. [Fr.—L. bilanx, having two scales—bis, double, lanx, lancis, a dish or scale.]
The Standard Electrical Dictionary
Balance
(a) Wheatstone's Bridge, q. v., is sometimes termed the Electric Balance. (b) A suspension or torsion balance is one which includes a filament or pair of filaments to whose lower end or ends are attached a horizontal indicator often called a needle, or a magnetic needle. (See Torsion Balance.) (c) See Induction Balance, Hughes'. (d) For Thermic Balance, see Bolometer. (e) See Balance, Ampere.
The Foolish Dictionary, by Gideon Wurdz
BALANCE
Something wanted by book-keepers and often lost by topers. May be found in a cash-book or the kangaroo gait.
Dictionary of Nautical Terms
balance
One of the simple mechanical powers, used in determining the weights and masses of different bodies. Also, one of the twelve signs of the zodiac, called Libra. Balance-wheel of a chronometer--see CHRONOMETER.
Editors Contribution
balance
An amount or element in accurate and perfect proportion.
All of the scales were in perfect balance.
Submitted by MaryC on February 1, 2020
balanceverb
To put (something) in a steady place so it does not fall.
I balanced a cup on my knee, then spun and it slid to the table.
Submitted by zakaria1409 on July 12, 2022
Suggested Resources
balance
Song lyrics by balance -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by balance on the Lyrics.com website.
Surnames Frequency by Census Records
BALANCE
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Balance is ranked #113791 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
The Balance surname appeared 154 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Balance.
40.2% or 62 total occurrences were White.
22.7% or 35 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
18.8% or 29 total occurrences were Asian.
14.9% or 23 total occurrences were Black.
Matched Categories
British National Corpus
Spoken Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'balance' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1273
Written Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'balance' in Written Corpus Frequency: #1722
Nouns Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'balance' in Nouns Frequency: #559
Verbs Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'balance' in Verbs Frequency: #663
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of balance in Chaldean Numerology is: 2
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of balance in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2
Examples of balance in a Sentence
In the scenario of a Prabowo presidency, he will have to reward his supporters and the political Islam side will take credit for his victory, having said that, he understands the concerns of the influence of Islam and will try to balance that with his own and his Christian family's opinions.
It is crucial for the government (and companies) to address pressing issues that are already affecting lives, the need for support and a healthy work life balance cannot be overlooked if we are to ensure the well-being of individuals with the reality of the highest suicide rate in the OECD.
The minister ... addressed the role of the institutions. Taken as a whole, what's important here is that the Commission keeps the right balance between its political function and its role as a guardian of the treaties.
While the regular season was largely completed, we had a number of teams that were on the bubble, and you know we have extraordinary competitive balance (in the NHL) and any of those teams that were on the bubble outside of the top 16 in each conference had a legitimate chance of making the playoffs, some more than others. And we decided we needed a play-in round to give those teams a chance to ultimately make the playoffs, and that's going to be a best-of-five series.
As managers of Yellowstone National Park, we balance the preservation of park resources with public safety, our decision takes into account the facts of the case, the goals of the bear management program and the long-term viability of the grizzly bear population as a whole, rather than an individual bear.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for balance
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- رصيد, ميزان, توازنArabic
- теглилка, везна, баланс, равновесие, балансираност, уравновесявам, уравновесен съм, балансирам, балансиран съм, правя балансBulgarian
- balanç, equilibri, balança, compensar, equilibrarCatalan, Valencian
- rovnováhaCzech
- balanceDanish
- Waage, Ausgewogenheit, Balance, Bilanz, Gleichgewicht, Saldo, balancieren, wiegen, im Gleichgewicht halten, ausgleichen, bilanzierenGerman
- ισοζύγιο, ζυγαριά, ισορροπία, αντισταθμίζω, ισορροπώ, ζυγίζω, ισοσκελίζωGreek
- equilibrio, balanza, balance, [[hacer]] [[balance]], balancear, equilibrarSpanish
- orekaBasque
- میزان, بالانس, ترازو, تعادلPersian
- varsivaaka, tasapaino, vaaka, saldo, olla tasapainossaFinnish
- balance, équilibre, solde, apurerFrench
- cothromaíochtIrish
- co-chothromScottish Gaelic
- balanza, equilibrio, balanceGalician
- તુલાGujarati
- מאזניים, איזון, מאזן, שיווי משקלHebrew
- तराज़ू, तुला, संतुलनHindi
- mérlegHungarian
- հավասարակշռություն, բալանս, կշեռքArmenian
- keseimbanganIndonesian
- bilanco, balanco, equilibroIdo
- bilancia, bilancio, neutralità, equilibrio, pareggiare, equivalere, pesare, tenere in equilibrio, bilanciare, conguagliareItalian
- איזוןHebrew
- 秤, バランス, 中立, 均衡, 平衡, 天秤, 釣り合いJapanese
- terazî, yeksengî, hevsengî, denge, terazû, balansKurdish
- баланстоо, сальдо, тараза, теңдештик, таразалоо, тең салмак, теңдеш, балансташкан, тең салмактык, калдык, баланс, тең салмактоо, кайырмаKyrgyz
- stateraLatin
- WoLuxembourgish, Letzeburgesch
- pusiausvyraLithuanian
- кантар, врамнотеженост, рамнотежа, биланс, терезија, салдо, вага, измируваMacedonian
- neraca, teraju, dacing, mizanMalay
- balans, evenwicht, weegschaalDutch
- vekt, balanse, balansereNorwegian
- waga, równowaga, saldoPolish
- balança, balanço, equilíbrio, equilibrar, pesar, balancearPortuguese
- balanță, balans, cumpăt, echilibru, bilanțRomanian
- баланс, весы, сбалансированность, равновесие, взвешенность, уравновешенность, сальдо, уравновешивать, уравновеситьRussian
- vága, равноте́жа, кантар, kantar, теразије, terazije, ravnotéža, ва́га, balansirati, балансиратиSerbo-Croatian
- ravnovesje, ravnotežjeSlovene
- peshore, ekuilibër, balancë, bilancAlbanian
- balans, avvägning, balansräkning, balansvåg, våg, jämvikt, vågskål, jämviktsläge, balansera, stå och väga, vara i jämvikt, jämna ut sigSwedish
- சமநிலைTamil
- సమతుల్యత, త్రాసు, కాటాTelugu
- สมดุลThai
- denge, kantar, teraziTurkish
- рівновагаUkrainian
- ترازو, تلا, میزانUrdu
- וואָגYiddish
- 平衡Chinese
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