balance

bal|ance¹ W2S2 [ˈbæləns] n

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1¦(steady)¦

2¦(equal amounts)¦

3 on balance

4¦(surprise somebody)¦

5¦(bank)¦

6¦(money owed)¦

7¦(remaining)¦

8 be/hang in the balance

9 tip/swing the balance

10¦(for weighing)¦

11¦(mental/emotional health)¦

12 the balance of evidence/probability etc

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[Date: 1200-1300; : Old French; Origin: Vulgar Latin bilancia, from Late Latin bilanx 'having two pans', from Latin lanx 'plate']

1.) ¦(STEADY)¦[U]

a state in which all your weight is evenly spread so that you do not fall

▪ I lost my balance and fell on my face.

▪ We were struggling to keep our balance as the boat rolled.

▪ I thought she was going to fall, but she recovered her balance and carried on down the stairs.

▪ a powerful blow that knocked his opponent off balance

▪ I've got a good sense of balance and learnt to ski quite quickly.

2.) ¦(EQUAL AMOUNTS)¦ [singular, U]

a state in which opposite forces or influences exist in equal or the correct amounts, in a way that is good

≠ ↑imbalance balance between

▪ Try to keep a balance between work and play.

balance of

▪ Pesticides seriously upset the balance of nature .

▪ We need to strike a balance (=succeed in finding a balance) between the needs of the community and the rights of the individual.

3.) on balance

if you think something on balance, you think it after considering all the facts

▪ I think on balance I prefer the old system.

4.) ¦(SURPRISE SOMEBODY)¦

catch/throw sb off balance

to surprise someone and make them confused and no longer calm

▪ The question caught him off balance, and he didn't know what to say.

5.) ¦(BANK)¦

the amount of money that you have in your bank account

▪ My bank balance isn't very healthy.

6.) ¦(MONEY OWED)¦

the balance of a debt is the amount of money that you still owe after you have paid some of it

▪ The balance is due at the end of the month.

7.) ¦(REMAINING)¦

the balance

the amount of something that remains after some has been used, spent, mentioned etc

= ↑the rest

▪ The firm owns about 96% of the portfolio, with the balance belonging to our family.

8.) be/hang in the balance

if the future or success of something hangs in the balance, you cannot yet know whether the result will be bad or good

▪ Meanwhile, the fate of the refugees continues to hang in the balance.

9.) tip/swing the balance

to influence the result of an event

▪ The dignity and courage shown by the President may tip the balance in his party's favour .

10.) ¦(FOR WEIGHING)¦

an instrument for weighing things, with two dishes that hang from a bar

= ↑scales

11.) ¦(MENTAL/EMOTIONAL HEALTH)¦ [singular]

when someone's mind is healthy and their emotional state is normal

▪ The death of her friend had disturbed the balance of her mind .

12.) the balance of evidence/probability etc

the most likely answer or result produced by opposing information, reasons etc

→checks and balances at ↑check² (4)

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COLLOCATES for sense 1

lose your balance (=become unsteady)

keep your balance (=stay steady)

recover/regain your balance (=become steady again)

be off balance (=unable to stay steady)

knock/pull/throw somebody off balance

sense of balance

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balance ²

balance² S3 v

1.) [I and T]

to be in or get into a steady position, without falling to one side or the other, or to put something into this position

balance sth on sth

▪ She was balancing a plate of food on her knees.

balance on

▪ He turned around, balancing awkwardly on one foot.

2.) [I and T]

to be equal in importance, amount, value, or effect to something that has the opposite effect

▪ Job losses in manufacturing were balanced by job increases in the service sector.

▪ just enough sugar to balance the acidity of the fruit

3.) [T]

to consider the importance of one thing in relation to something else when you are making a decision

balance sth against sth

▪ The courts must balance our liberty against the security of the nation.

4.) balance the budget

if a government balances the budget, they make the amount of money that they spend equal to the amount of money available

5.) balance the books

to show that the amount of money a business has received is equal to the amount spent

balance out phr v

if two or more things balance out, the final result is that they are equal in amount, importance, or effect

▪ Sometimes I look after the kids and sometimes John does - it all balances out.

→↑balancing act