balance
balance Lexical Profile
balance Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.
"The gymnast maintained her balance effortlessly while walking across the narrow beam."
A condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions; mental or emotional stability.
"Achieving a healthy balance between professional responsibilities and personal life requires careful planning."
The difference between an amount due and an amount paid, or the total amount of money held in a bank account at a given moment.
"She checked her checking account balance online before paying the remaining utility bill."
An apparatus for weighing substances, especially one consisting of a central pivot, a beam, and two suspended pans.
"The chemist used a precision analytical balance to measure out twenty milligrams of the reagent."
• verb
To keep or put something in a steady position so that it does not fall.
"The waiter skillfully balanced a tray of glasses on one hand as he navigated the crowded dining room."
To offset or compare the value, importance, or weight of one thing with another so as to establish proportion or harmony.
"The committee sought to balance the need for economic growth with strict environmental protection."
To compare and equalize the debit and credit sides of an account or budget so that the totals match.
"The accountant stayed late on Friday to balance the quarterly ledger before the audit."
• Rhymes for balance
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English balance, borrowed from Old French balance, which derives from Late Latin bilancia, from Latin bilanx ('having two scale pans'), formed from bis ('twice') and lanx ('dish, plate, or scale pan').