imbalance
imbalance Lexical Profile
imbalance Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A lack of proportion, equality, or equilibrium between corresponding parts, elements, or forces.
"The growing trade imbalance between the two nations prompted new economic negotiations."
A physiological or biochemical state in which essential bodily substances, such as hormones, fluids, or neurotransmitters, are present in abnormal proportions.
"The physician ordered a blood panel to check for a thyroid hormone imbalance."
• verb
To cause a system, structure, or condition to lose its equilibrium or proper proportion.
"Introducing an invasive predator can rapidly imbalance a fragile island ecosystem."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Imbalance' and 'unbalance' overlap, but 'imbalance' is the standard noun for a lack of proportion or stability (as in 'chemical imbalance' or 'trade imbalance'), whereas 'unbalance' is used primarily as a verb meaning to throw out of equilibrium.
• Rhymes for imbalance
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the early 20th century from the assimilative prefix 'im-' ('not') combined with 'balance', which traces back through Old French to Late Latin 'bilanx' ('having two scale pans').