balance
Definitions
A state in which opposing forces or weights are equal and steady; equilibrium.
平衡，均衡（对立力量或重量相等而稳定的状态）
The amount of money in a bank account, or the amount still owed on a bill.
（账户）余额；（账单）应付余款
An instrument for weighing, with two pans hanging from a beam.
天平，秤
To keep or put something in a steady position without falling.
（使）保持平衡，（使）稳住
To make two things, amounts, or considerations equal or proportionate.
使均衡，权衡；使（账目）收支相抵
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Latin bilanx: bi- (two) + lanx (scale-pan) = 'having two pans.' The word is the two-pan scale itself. When the pans hang level, the weights are equal — that even state became 'balance' (equilibrium), making the pans even became the verb 'to balance,' and in bookkeeping the amount left to tip the account became your 'balance' (the money remaining).
Root balanc still carries 8 more wordsWhy It Means This
All the senses come from one picture: a scale with two pans. Equilibrium is the pans hanging level; the verb is the act of making them level; and the financial 'balance' is what remains after you weigh money in against money out — the amount that tips the account. Once you see the scale, the leap from 'physical equilibrium' to 'bank balance' stops feeling strange.
Usage Guide
- 'balance' (n.) — equilibrium or remaining amount; uncountable for equilibrium, countable for an account balance.
- 'on balance' (idiom) — 'taking everything into account': On balance, the plan is worth trying.
- 'strike a balance' — find a workable middle: strike a balance between speed and quality.
- 'in the balance' — undecided, uncertain: Her future hangs in the balance.
Note the financial sense ('outstanding balance,' 'balance due') is everyday English, not jargon.
Example Sentences
- 1.
She lost her balance on the icy step and nearly fell.
- 2.
I checked my bank balance before booking the flight.
- 3.
The chemist weighed the powder on a delicate balance.
- 4.
It's hard to balance a full-time job with raising kids.
- 5.
Good leaders balance the needs of staff against costs.
Easily Confused
balance vs. weigh — both involve scales, but weigh is about finding how heavy something is (weigh the parcel), while balance is about keeping two sides equal/steady (balance the load, balance a budget). You weigh to get a number; you balance to keep things even.
Synonym Comparison
- balance — keeping opposing sides equal and steady; the everyday word
- equilibrium — formal/scientific term for the same steady state
- stability — firmness, resistance to being upset (not necessarily two sides)
- poise — graceful, controlled balance, often of a person
- symmetry — balance specifically of matching shapes or arrangement