balance
• noun 1 an even distribution of weight ensuring stability. 2 mental or emotional stability. 3 a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions. 4 an apparatus for weighing, especially one with a beam and central pivot. 5 a preponderance: the balance of opinion was that work was important. 6 a figure representing the difference between credits and debits in an account. • verb 1 be or put in a steady position. 2 compare the value of (one thing) with another. 3 establish equal or appropriate proportions of elements in. — PHRASES balance of payments the difference in total value between payments into and out of a country over a period. balance of power 1 a situation in which states of the world have roughly equal power. 2 the power held by a small group when larger groups are of equal strength. balance of trade the difference in value between a country’s imports and exports. be (or hang) in the balance be in an uncertain or critical state. on balance when all factors are taken into consideration. — DERIVATIVES balancer noun. — ORIGIN Old French, from Latin libra bilanx ‘balance having two scale-pans’.
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