EQUILIBRIUM (equilibria)
Dictionary entry overview: What does equilibrium mean?
• EQUILIBRIUM (noun)
The noun EQUILIBRIUM has 4 senses:
1. a chemical reaction and its reverse proceed at equal rates
2. a stable situation in which forces cancel one another
3. equality of distribution
4. a sensory system located in structures of the inner ear that registers the orientation of the head
Familiarity information: EQUILIBRIUM used as a noun is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
• EQUILIBRIUM (noun)
Meaning:
A chemical reaction and its reverse proceed at equal rates
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural processes
Synonyms:
equilibrium; chemical equilibrium
Hypernyms ("equilibrium" is a kind of...):
chemical reaction; reaction ((chemistry) a process in which one or more substances are changed into others)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "equilibrium"):
acid-base balance; acid-base equilibrium ((physiology) the normal equilibrium between acids and alkalis in the body)
Meaning:
A stable situation in which forces cancel one another
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("equilibrium" is a kind of...):
situation; state of affairs (the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "equilibrium"):
poise (a state of being balanced in a stable equilibrium)
Nash equilibrium ((game theory) a stable state of a system that involves several interacting participants in which no participant can gain by a change of strategy as long as all the other participants remain unchanged)
isostasy ((geology) a general equilibrium of the forces tending to elevate or depress the earth's crust)
homeostasis ((physiology) metabolic equilibrium actively maintained by several complex biological mechanisms that operate via the autonomic nervous system to offset disrupting changes)
dynamic balance ((aeronautics) the state of equilibrium in which centrifugal forces due to a rotating mass (e.g., a propeller) do not produce force in the shaft and so vibration is reduced)
balance of power (an equilibrium of power between nations)
balance (a state of equilibrium)
thermal equilibrium (a state in which all parts of a system are at the same temperature)
Antonym:
disequilibrium (loss of equilibrium attributable to an unstable situation in which some forces outweigh others)
Meaning:
Equality of distribution
Classified under:
Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes
Synonyms:
equipoise; counterbalance; equilibrium; balance
Hypernyms ("equilibrium" 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 "equilibrium"):
conformation (a symmetrical arrangement of the parts of a thing)
proportion; symmetry (balance among the parts of something)
Meaning:
A sensory system located in structures of the inner ear that registers the orientation of the head
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Synonyms:
labyrinthine sense; sense of balance; sense of equilibrium; vestibular sense; equilibrium
Hypernyms ("equilibrium" is a kind of...):
proprioception (the ability to sense the position and location and orientation and movement of the body and its parts)
