BALANCE

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Balance mean? 

• BALANCE (noun)
  The noun BALANCE has 12 senses:

1. a state of equilibrium
2. a scale for weighing; depends on pull of gravity
3. equality between the totals of the credit and debit sides of an account
4. harmonious arrangement or relation of parts or elements within a whole (as in a design)
5. equality of distribution
6. something left after other parts have been taken away
7. the difference between the totals of the credit and debit sides of an account
8. (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Libra
9. the seventh sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about September 23 to October 22
10. (mathematics) an attribute of a shape or relation; exact reflection of form on opposite sides of a dividing line or plane
11. a weight that balances another weight
12. 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

  Familiarity information: BALANCE used as a noun is familiar.

• BALANCE (verb)
  The verb BALANCE has 4 senses:

1. bring into balance or equilibrium
2. compute credits and debits of an account
3. hold or carry in equilibrium
4. be in equilibrium

  Familiarity information: BALANCE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BALANCE (noun)

Sense 1

balance [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A state of equilibrium

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("balance" is a kind of...):

equilibrium (a stable situation in which forces cancel one another)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "balance"):

nitrogen balance (the balance between the amount of nitrogen taken in (to the soil or the body) and the amount given off (lost or excreted))

electrolyte balance (an equilibrium between the amounts of electrolytes (as calcium and sodium and potassium) that is essential for normal health and functioning)

tension (a balance between and interplay of opposing elements or tendencies (especially in art or literature))

Antonym:

imbalance (a lack of balance or state of disequilibrium)

Sense 2

balance [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A scale for weighing; depends on pull of gravity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("balance" is a kind of...):

scale; weighing machine (a measuring instrument for weighing; shows amount of mass)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "balance"):

beam balance (a balance consisting of a lever with two equal arms and a pan suspended from each arm)

electronic balance (balance that generates a current proportional to displacement of pan)

microbalance (balance for weighing very small objects)

spring balance; spring scale (a balance that measure weight by the tension on a helical spring)

beam scale; lever scale; steelyard (a portable balance consisting of a pivoted bar with arms of unequal length)

Sense 3

balance [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Equality between the totals of the credit and debit sides of an account

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Hypernyms ("balance" is a kind of...):

equality (the quality of being the same in quantity or measure or value or status)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "balance"):

trial balance (a balance of debits and credits in double-entry bookkeeping; drawn up to test their equality)

Holonyms ("balance" is a part of...):

account; account statement; accounting (a statement of recent transactions and the resulting balance)

Sense 4

balance [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Harmonious arrangement or relation of parts or elements within a whole (as in a design)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

proportionality; balance; proportion

Context example:

in all perfectly beautiful objects there is found the opposition of one part to another and a reciprocal balance

Hypernyms ("balance" is a kind of...):

arrangement; placement (the spatial property of the way in which something is placed)

Sense 5

balance [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Equality of distribution

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Synonyms:

equipoise; counterbalance; equilibrium; balance

Hypernyms ("balance" is a kind of...):

construction; structure (a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "balance"):

conformation (a symmetrical arrangement of the parts of a thing)

proportion; symmetry (balance among the parts of something)

Sense 6

balance [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Something left after other parts have been taken away

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Synonyms:

rest; residuum; residual; remainder; residue; balance

Context examples:

there was no remainder / he threw away the rest / he took what he wanted and I got the balance

Hypernyms ("balance" is a kind of...):

component; component part; part; portion (something determined in relation to something that includes it)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "balance"):

leftover; remnant (a small part or portion that remains after the main part no longer exists)

Sense 7

balance [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The difference between the totals of the credit and debit sides of an account

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Hypernyms ("balance" is a kind of...):

difference; remainder (the number that remains after subtraction; the number that when added to the subtrahend gives the minuend)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "balance"):

invisible balance (the difference in value over a period of time of a country's imports and exports of services and payments of property incomes)

compensating balance; offsetting balance (a minimum credit balance that a bank may require a borrower to keep on deposit as a condition for granting a loan; a common requirement for establishing a line of credit at a bank)

carry-forward; carry-over (the accumulated and undivided profits of a corporation after provision has been made for dividends and reserves)

balance of trade; trade balance; trade gap; visible balance (the difference in value over a period of time of a country's imports and exports of merchandise)

Sense 8

Balance [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Libra

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Libra; Balance

Hypernyms ("Balance" is a kind of...):

individual; mortal; person; somebody; someone; soul (a human being)

Domain category:

astrology; star divination (a pseudoscience claiming divination by the positions of the planets and sun and moon)

Sense 9

Balance [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

The seventh sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about September 23 to October 22

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Synonyms:

Libra the Scales; Libra the Balance; Libra; Balance

Instance hypernyms:

house; mansion; planetary house; sign; sign of the zodiac; star sign ((astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided)

Sense 10

balance [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

(mathematics) an attribute of a shape or relation; exact reflection of form on opposite sides of a dividing line or plane

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

symmetry; symmetricalness; correspondence; balance

Hypernyms ("balance" is a kind of...):

spatial property; spatiality (any property relating to or occupying space)

Domain category:

math; mathematics; maths (a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "balance"):

geometrical regularity; regularity (a property of polygons: the property of having equal sides and equal angles)

bilateral symmetry; bilateralism; bilaterality (the property of being symmetrical about a vertical plane)

radial symmetry (the property of symmetry about an axis)

Sense 11

balance [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A weight that balances another weight

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

counterweight; counterpoise; counterbalance; equaliser; equalizer; balance

Hypernyms ("balance" is a kind of...):

weight (an artifact that is heavy)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "balance"):

tare (counterweight consisting of an empty container that is used as a counterbalance to obtain net weight)

sash weight (a counterweight for a sliding sash)

Sense 12

balance [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

balance wheel; balance

Hypernyms ("balance" is a kind of...):

wheel (a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines))

Holonyms ("balance" is a part of...):

horologe; timekeeper; timepiece (a measuring instrument or device for keeping time)

• BALANCE (verb)

Sense 1

balance [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Bring into balance or equilibrium

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

equilibrize; equilibrise; balance; equilibrate

Context examples:

She has to balance work and her domestic duties / balance the two weights

Hypernyms (to "balance" is one way to...):

fit; match (make correspond or harmonize)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "balance"):

complement (make complete or perfect; supply what is wanting or form the complement to)

compensate; correct; counterbalance; even off; even out; even up; make up (adjust for)

cancel; offset; set off (make up for)

countervail; offset (compensate for or counterbalance)

trim (balance in flight by regulating the control surfaces)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Antonym:

unbalance (throw out of balance or equilibrium)

Sense 2

balance [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Compute credits and debits of an account

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "balance" is one way to...):

account; calculate (keep an account of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

balance [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Hold or carry in equilibrium

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

balance; poise

Hypernyms (to "balance" is one way to...):

bear; carry; hold (support or hold in a certain manner)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "balance"):

juggle (hold with difficulty and balance insecurely)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 4

balance [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Be in equilibrium

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Context example:

He was balancing on one foot

Hypernyms (to "balance" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sentence examples:

The children balance in the rocking chair
There balance some children in the rocking chair