Dictionary

counterbalance en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌkaʊntɚˈbæləns/ (General-American)
• /ˌkaʊntəˈbæləns/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Italic *-teros Proto-Italic *komterosder. Proto-Italic *komterād Latin contrāder. Old French contre- Anglo-Norman countre-bor. Middle English counter- English counter- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Italic *dwi- Latin bi- Latin lanx Latin bilanx Vulgar Latin *bilancia Old French balancebor. Middle English balaunce English balance English counterbalance From counter- + balance.

Meanings

1. (literally) A weight that is put in opposition to an equal weight so it keeps that in balance.
2. (figuratively) A force or influence that balances, checks or limits an opposite one.

Forms

Synonyms

counterweight · equipoise · counterpoise

Translations (44)

ms imbang balas (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · ru противове́с (weight balancing an opposite one) · nl tegenwicht (weight balancing an opposite one) · pl przeciwwaga (weight balancing an opposite one) · sv motvikt (weight balancing an opposite one) · bg противоте́жест (weight balancing an opposite one) · kk қарсы салмақ (weight balancing an opposite one) · de Gegengewicht (weight balancing an opposite one) · bg балансьо́р (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · it contrappeso (weight balancing an opposite one) · az əks-çəki (weight balancing an opposite one) · fi vastapaino (weight balancing an opposite one) · ar مُوَازَنَة (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · ar ثِقْل مُوَازِن (weight balancing an opposite one) · fr contrepoids (weight balancing an opposite one) · grc σήκωμα (weight balancing an opposite one) · ota دنك (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · nn motvekt (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · mk противтежа (weight balancing an opposite one) · nb motvekt (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · sv motvikt (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · cs protiváha (weight balancing an opposite one) · mk противтежа (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · fr contrepoids (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · gu ધડો (weight balancing an opposite one) · de Gegenkraft (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · nn motvekt (weight balancing an opposite one) · pt contrapeso (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · ru противове́с (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · ar ثِقْل مُوَازِن (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · pt contrapeso (weight balancing an opposite one) · sh protuteža (weight balancing an opposite one) · cmn 抗衡力 (weight balancing an opposite one) · fi vastavoima (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · de Gegengewicht (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · nb motvekt (weight balancing an opposite one) · es contrabalanza (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · tr denge ağırlığı (weight balancing an opposite one) · fi vastapaino (force or influence balancing an opposite one) · cs protizávaží (weight balancing an opposite one) · es contrabalanza (weight balancing an opposite one) · ar سَقُوم (weight balancing an opposite one) · ota دنك (weight balancing an opposite one) · ms imbang balas (weight balancing an opposite one)

counterbalance en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌkaʊntɚˈbæləns/ (General-American)
• /ˌkaʊntəˈbæləns/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Italic *-teros Proto-Italic *komterosder. Proto-Italic *komterād Latin contrāder. Old French contre- Anglo-Norman countre-bor. Middle English counter- English counter- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Italic *dwi- Latin bi- Latin lanx Latin bilanx Vulgar Latin *bilancia Old French balancebor. Middle English balaunce English balance English counterbalance From counter- + balance.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To apply weight in order to balance an opposing weight.
   • Big brother counterbalances his two siblings to the pound.
   • […] the remaining Air was not able to counterballance the Mercurial Cylinder, […] 1659 December 30 (date written), Robert Boyle, “[Experiment 17]”, in New Experiments Physico-Mechanicall, Touching the Spring of the Air, and Its Effects […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] H[enry] Hall, printer to the University, for Tho[mas] Robinson, published 1660, →OCLC, page 118:
2. (figuratively, transitive) To match or equal in effect when applying opposing force.
   • It's almost eerie, in the wake of the Lawrence Summers controversy, to encounter the words of an earlier Harvard president, John Kirkland, a "friend and mentor" of Elizabeth's, who advised her that if any woman "is raised by genius and knowledge above the level of her sex, her neglect of attention appropriate to the best half of creation, attentions called femininities, will more than counterbalance all her advantages and reduce her below other women." 2005 April 17, Francine Rose, “'The Peabody Sisters': Reflected Glory”, in The New York Times:
   • Perhaps her views of life were too morbid, but her companions had enough cheerfulness to counterbalance any undue tinge of sadness given by one who had obviously suffered much. 1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter VII, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 84:
   • A considerable effort has been made in these volumes to counterbalance this activity by introducing the student to the plants as living entities with a "life of their own," as Spruce put it. 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page ix:
   • Arm wrestling is undecided as long as the opponents counterbalance each other.
   • Government control was inconsistent and (at times) motivated by wider political issues that prevented BR being able to charge reasonable rates. Counterbalancing this was the Commission's own policy regarding freight charges. It frequently did not charge enough to cover direct costs (the so-called exceptional rates), causing massive losses to accrue on merchandise movements. 2023 March 8, David Clough, “The long road that led to Beeching”, in RAIL, number 978, page 43:
   • Still, a strong reluctance to re-enter a service from which he had been dismissed with contempt, almost counterbalanced these considerations. 1820, [Walter Scott], chapter XV, in The Abbot. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne & Co.] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and for Archibald Constable and Company, and John Ballantyne, […], →OCLC, pages 333–334:
   • […] the study of mind is necessary to counterbalance and correct the influence of the study of matter; […] a. 1857, William Hamilton, “Lecture II. Philosophy—Its Absolute Utility. (B) Objective.”, in H[enry] L[ongueville] Mansel and John Veitch, editors, Lectures on Metaphysics and Logic […], volume I, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, published 1859, →OCLC, page 35:
   • The defenders' knowledge of the terrain roughly counterbalances the attackers' superior equipment.

Forms

Antonyms

overcome · outweigh · overpower

Deriveds

counterbalancer · counterbalancingly

Hypernyms

offset

Synonyms

counterpoise · equiponderate · counteract · counterpoise · counterweigh

Translations (24)

no motveie (to apply weight in order to balance) · ar وَازَنَ (to apply weight in order to balance) · bg уравновеся́вам (to match or equal in effect when applying opposing force) · ms mengimbang balas (to match or equal in effect when applying opposing force) · cs vyvážit (to apply weight in order to balance) · cmn 相抵 (to apply weight in order to balance) · ro cumpăni (to apply weight in order to balance) · ru уравнове́шивать (to apply weight in order to balance) · es contrabalancear (to apply weight in order to balance) · bg уравновеся́вам (to apply weight in order to balance) · pt contrapesar (to apply weight in order to balance) · ms imbang balas (to match or equal in effect when applying opposing force) · cmn 抵消 (to match or equal in effect when applying opposing force) · ar وَازَنَ (to match or equal in effect when applying opposing force) · ms mengimbang balas (to apply weight in order to balance) · fr contre-balancer (to match or equal in effect when applying opposing force) · no motveie (to match or equal in effect when applying opposing force) · fr contrebalancer (to apply weight in order to balance) · fi tasapainottaa (to apply weight in order to balance) · pt contrapesar (to match or equal in effect when applying opposing force) · ro contrabalansa (to apply weight in order to balance) · ms imbang balas (to apply weight in order to balance) · pt contrabalancear (to apply weight in order to balance) · bg баланси́рам (to match or equal in effect when applying opposing force)