Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Counterbalance |
CounterbalanceNoun1. An equivalent counterbalancing weight. 2. Equality of distribution. 3. A compensating equivalent. Verb1. Make up for, make good. 2. Place in opposition: can also be used in an abstract sense; "Oppose thy steadfast gazing eyes to mine"- Shakespeare. 3. Oppose and mitigate the effects of by contrary actions; "This will counteract the foolish actions of my colleagues". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "counterbalance" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1588. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Mechanical Engineering | Counterweights are usually employed opposite the crankpins to balance the rotating forces developed by the crankarm, crankpin, and connecting rod. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Synonyms: CounterbalanceSynonyms: balance (n), counterpoise (n), counterweight (n), equaliser (n), equalizer (n), equilibrium (n), equipoise (n), offset (n), compensate (v), counteract (v), countervail (v), even off (v), even out (v), even up (v), neutralize (v), oppose (v), turn the scales (v). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Compensation | Verb: make compensation; compensate, compense; indemnify; counteract, countervail, counterpoise; balance; outbalance, overbalance, counterbalance; set off; hedge, square, give and take; make up for, lee way; cover, fill up, neutralize, nullify; equalize; make good; redeem; (atone). |
Set-off, offset; make-weight, casting-weight; counterpoise, ballast; indemnity, equivalent, quid pro,quo; bribe, hush money; amends; (atonement); counterbalance, counterclaim; cross-debt, cross-demand. | |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Counterbalance |
| English words defined with "counterbalance": counterpoise, counterpose, Counterscale, countervail, Counterweigh, counterweight ♦ Equibalance, Equiponderate ♦ offset, Overpoise ♦ tare, To take check ♦ Window box. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "counterbalance": doon ♦ tail rope. (references) |
| Domain | Title |
Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, revised design for w.i. bracket and counterbalance / The Iron-Craftsmen, art metal work, 12 S. Orianna St., Phila. 6, Pe. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Construction of a railroad engine. Counterbalance on locomotive drive wheel. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Author | Quotation |
Marquis De Vauvenargues | Clarity is the counterbalance of profound thoughts. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Business | Economics Economic factors tend to counterbalance low demand concentration. (references) | |
Even the high demand for plastic produce packing containers was unable to counterbalance the general decline in demand from agriculture. (references) | ||
Future growth in the size of the total Italian vehicle fleet could be slower, due to the scrapping and non-replacement of old second and third cars. An increase in the reliability of components could result in a slowdown in the expansion of the aftermarket as well. On the other hand, the new Italian highway code's enforcement of more stringent and frequent automobile safety inspections and new environmental controls, is expected to counterbalance this effect and contribute to expanded vehicle servicing and repairs. (references) | ||
Civil Liberties | Hungary | The Constitution provides for freedom of speech and the press, and the Government generally respects this right in practice; however, during the year, the FIDESZ-led coalition Government continued to attempt to counterbalance what it considered a leftwing bias in news coverage through its influence on personnel decisions within the state-owned media. (references) |
Economic History | Austria | Austria's geographic situation as an EU member with "front-door" access to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), the high quality and morale of labor, labor productivity, the country's political and social stability, and other features such as rule of law, high quality of life and security are often cited as positive features that counterbalance less positive aspects such as regulatory rigidities and red tape. (references) |
Vietnam | The territory border between the two countries is being definitively mapped pursuant to a Land Border Agreement signed December 1999, and an Agreement on Borders in the Gulf of Tonkin signed December 2000. Vietnam and Russia declared a strategic partnership March 2001 during the first visit ever to Hanoi of a Russian head of state, largely as an attempt to counterbalance the P.R.C.'s growing profile in Southeast Asia. (references) | |
Trade | Egypt | To counterbalance the reduction in tariffs, the government levies a service fee on the value of imported shipments in return for inspection, listing, classification and reexamination of shipments. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Counterbalance" is generally used as a lexical verb (infinitive) -- approximately 54.05% of the time. "Counterbalance" is used about 74 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Lexical Verb (infinitive) | 54.05% | 40 | 54,274 |
| Noun (singular) | 43.24% | 32 | 61,292 |
| Lexical Verb (base form) | 2.7% | 2 | 245,945 |
| Total | 100.00% | 74 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expression using "counterbalance": counterbalance weight. Additional references. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
counterbalance | 26 |
counterbalance truck | 7 |
counterbalance pendulum | 5 |
cambs counterbalance reach training | 4 |
counterbalance valve | 2 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "counterbalance"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | neutralizoj (counteract, negative, neutralize, scotch), kundërpeshë (counterpoise, counterweight, equipoise), kompensoj (atone for, compensate, make up, offset, recompense, recoup, refund, reimburse, remedy), balancoj (balance, compensate, counterpoise, weigh up). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | وازن (balance, balancing, collate, compare, counterpoise, counterweight, equate, equilibrate, equipoise, even, offset, poise, set off, square, stabilize, strike a balance), القوة المقابلة, الثقل. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | противотежест (counterpoise, counterweight, offset), противовес (balance, counterweight, set off). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 抵消 (Counterbalanced, Counterbalancing, Countervailing). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | protiváha (balance, counterpoise, counterweight). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | kontravægt (balance weight, clump weight, counterbalance weight, counterweight). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | tegengewicht (counterbalance weight, counterweight). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Farsi | پارسنگ (Countermeasure), وزنه تعادل (Counterweight), خنثی کردن (Annul, Counteract, Discomfit, Negate, Negation, Neuter, Neutralize, Offset, Stultify, Thwart, Undo). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | vastapaino (counterpoise), vastanäyttelijä. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | contre-poids (counterweight), contrepoids (counterpoise), contrebalancer (counteract), contrebalance, équilibrer. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | Gegengewicht (balance weight, counter balance, counterpoise, counterweight, equipoise). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | αντίβαρο (balance weight, counterweight). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indonesian | menimpali (counter something), menimbangi (be in proportion to, repay), mengimbangi (answer, set against). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | contrappeso (balance, counterweight), contrappesare (counterpoise). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 見合う (to correspond, to counterbalance, to exchange glances). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | みあう (to correspond, to counterbalance, to exchange glances). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Korean | 카운터밸런스. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | co-veih, cormal (adapt, balance, equalization, equate, equilibrate, even, square up). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Norwegian | motvekt. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | ounterbalancecay contrapeso (balance, balance weight, counterpoise, counterweight, equipoise, makeweight, plummet), contrabalançar (balance, compensate, counterpoise, countervail, counterweigh, equipoise, neutralize, offset, poise). (various references) contrabalansare, contrabalansa (counterpoise, equipoise, equiponderate, weigh down), compensa (atone for, cancel, compensate, counterpoise, countervail, indemnify, make up for, offset, recoup, redeem, satisfy), echilibra (balance, ballast, cancel out, compensate, countervail, equilibrate, equipoise, offset, poise). (various references) контргруз (balance weight, counterweight), противовес (balance weight, counter, counterpoise, counterrails, counterweight, equipoise, makeweight). (various references) protivteža (counterpoise, counterweight, offset, set off), izjednačiti (assimilate, equal, equalize, equiponderate, even, offset). (various references) contrapeso (counterpoise, counterweight, makeweight, setoff). (various references) uppväga (compensate for, counterpoise, countervail, counterweigh, equipoise, neutralize, off-set, outbalance, out-balance, outweigh, weigh against), motvikt (counterpoise, counterweight, equipoise, off-set, set off), motväga (equipoise). (various references) karşılamak (answer, compensate, counterpoise, countervail, fulfil, fulfill, greet, make amends, meet, provide, provision, receive, recompense, recoup, redress, satisfy, supply, take, welcome), karşılık (answer, as against, bargain, consideration, counter, counterpart, counterweigh, equivalent, offset, payment, payoff, provision, provisions, quid pro quo, quittance, reciprocation, recompense, remuneration, repayment, reply, requital, response, return, reward, riposte, wages), eşit güçle karşı koymak, eş ağırlık (counterpoise). (various references) урівноважувати (ballast, compensate, counterpoise, equilibrate, equipoise, neutralize, poise), урівноваження (neutralization), нейтралізувати дію, противага (balance beam, balance weight, counterpoise, counterweight, equipoise, make-weight). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "counterbalance": counterbalanced, counterbalances. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "counterbalance" (pronounced kou"nterba'luns or kou"nerba'luns) |
| 4 | -l u n s | ambivalence, ambulance, balance, benevolence, condolence, equivalence, excellence, imbalance, insolence, nonviolence, opulence, parlance, pestilence, petulance, prevalence, resemblance, semblance, silence, surveillance, turbulence, unbalance, Valence, vigilance, violence, virulence. |
| 3 | -u n s | abeyance, abhorrence, absence, abstinence, abundance, acceptance, accordance, acquaintance, acquiescence, adherence, admirations, admittance, adolescence, affluence, allegiance, alliance, allowance, ambiance, ambience, annoyance, appearance, appliance, arrogance, ascendance, assistance, assurance, attendance, audience, avoidance, belligerence, beneficence, bioscience, brilliance, cadence, capacitance, chrominance, circumference, clairvoyance, Clarence, clearance, coexistence, cognizance, coherence, coincidence, coinsurance, comeuppance, competence, compliance, concurrence, conference, confidence, confluence, conformance, congruence, connivance, conscience, consequence, consistence, continuance, contrivance, convalescence, convenience, convergence, conveyance, correspondence, countenance, counterintelligence, credence, dalliance, decadence, Defeasance, deference, defiance, deliverance, dependence, deterrence, deviance, difference, diligence, disallowance, disappearance, discontinuance, disobedience, dissidence, dissonance, distance, disturbance, divergence, dominance, ebullience, elegance, eloquence, emergence, eminence, endurance, entrance, essence, evanescence, evidence, existence, expedience, experience, extravagance, exuberance, flamboyance, Florence, forbearance, fragrance, furtherance, governance, grievance, guidance, hindrance, ignorance, immanence, imminence, impatience, impedance, importance, impotence, imprudence, inadvertence, incidence, incoherence, incompetence, incontinence, inconvenience, independence, indifference, inductance, indulgence, inexperience, inference, influence, inheritance, innocence, insignificance, insistence, instance, insurance, intelligence, interdependence, interference, intolerance, intransigence, invariance, irrelevance, irreverence, issuance, jurisprudence, licence, license, luminance, luminescence, maintenance, malfeasance, negligence, neuroscience, noncompliance, noninterference, nuisance, obedience, observance, obsolescence, occurrence, omnipotence, omnipresence, ordinance, Ordnance, overabundance, overconfidence, overdependence, overreliance, patience, penance, performance, permanence, persecutions, perseverance, persistence, phosphorescence, pittance, precedence, predominance, preeminence, preference, preponderance, prescience, presence, prominence, protuberance, provenance, Providence, province, prudence, pseudoscience, quintessence, radiance, reappearance, reassurance, recalcitrance, recognizance, reconnaissance, recurrence, reemergence, reference, reinspections, reinsurance, relevance, reliance, reluctance, remembrance, reminiscence, remittance, repentance, residence, resilience, resistance, resonance, resurgence, reticence, reverence, riddance, science, senescence, sentence, sequence, severance, significance, submergence, subservience, subsidence, subsistence, substance, sustenance, teleconference, temperance, tolerance, transcendence, transference, transience, utterance, variance, vehemence, vengeance, videoconference. |
| 4 | -l u n s | ambivalence, ambulance, balance, benevolence, condolence, equivalence, excellence, imbalance, insolence, nonviolence, opulence, parlance, pestilence, petulance, prevalence, resemblance, semblance, silence, surveillance, turbulence, unbalance, Valence, vigilance, violence, virulence. |
| 3 | -u n s | abeyance, abhorrence, absence, abstinence, abundance, acceptance, accordance, acquaintance, acquiescence, adherence, admirations, admittance, adolescence, affluence, allegiance, alliance, allowance, ambiance, ambience, annoyance, appearance, appliance, arrogance, ascendance, assistance, assurance, attendance, audience, avoidance, belligerence, beneficence, bioscience, brilliance, cadence, capacitance, chrominance, circumference, clairvoyance, Clarence, clearance, coexistence, cognizance, coherence, coincidence, coinsurance, comeuppance, competence, compliance, concurrence, conference, confidence, confluence, conformance, congruence, connivance, conscience, consequence, consistence, continuance, contrivance, convalescence, convenience, convergence, conveyance, correspondence, countenance, counterintelligence, credence, dalliance, decadence, Defeasance, deference, defiance, deliverance, dependence, deterrence, deviance, difference, diligence, disallowance, disappearance, discontinuance, disobedience, dissidence, dissonance, distance, disturbance, divergence, dominance, ebullience, elegance, eloquence, emergence, eminence, endurance, entrance, essence, evanescence, evidence, existence, expedience, experience, extravagance, exuberance, flamboyance, Florence, forbearance, fragrance, furtherance, governance, grievance, guidance, hindrance, ignorance, immanence, imminence, impatience, impedance, importance, impotence, imprudence, inadvertence, incidence, incoherence, incompetence, incontinence, inconvenience, independence, indifference, inductance, indulgence, inexperience, inference, influence, inheritance, innocence, insignificance, insistence, instance, insurance, intelligence, interdependence, interference, intolerance, intransigence, invariance, irrelevance, irreverence, issuance, jurisprudence, licence, license, luminance, luminescence, maintenance, malfeasance, negligence, neuroscience, noncompliance, noninterference, nuisance, obedience, observance, obsolescence, occurrence, omnipotence, omnipresence, ordinance, Ordnance, overabundance, overconfidence, overdependence, overreliance, patience, penance, performance, permanence, persecutions, perseverance, persistence, phosphorescence, pittance, precedence, predominance, preeminence, preference, preponderance, prescience, presence, prominence, protuberance, provenance, Providence, province, prudence, pseudoscience, quintessence, radiance, reappearance, reassurance, recalcitrance, recognizance, reconnaissance, recurrence, reemergence, reference, reinspections, reinsurance, relevance, reliance, reluctance, remembrance, reminiscence, remittance, repentance, residence, resilience, resistance, resonance, resurgence, reticence, reverence, riddance, science, senescence, sentence, sequence, severance, significance, submergence, subservience, subsidence, subsistence, substance, sustenance, teleconference, temperance, tolerance, transcendence, transference, transience, utterance, variance, vehemence, vengeance, videoconference. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-a-b-c-c-e-e-l-n-n-o-r-t-u" | |
-2 letters: concelebrant. | |
-3 letters: accountable, connectable, unelaborate, untraceable. | |
-4 letters: accelerant, connatural, nonaccrual, outbalance, reluctance, tabernacle, trabeculae. | |
-5 letters: accentual, accruable, bracteole, buccaneer, calenture, canoeable, carbonate, carbuncle, celebrant, centaurea, clearance, coeternal, concealer, concenter, connecter, countable, crenulate, elaborate, encounter, nocturnal, nonarable, nucleator, reactance, rebalance, reconnect, tenurable, tolerance, trabecula, traceable, unactable, unbalance, uncleaner, uneatable, untenable, urceolate. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-a-b-c-c-e-e-l-n-n-o-r-t-u" | |
+1 letter: counterbalanced, counterbalances. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Photo Album 6. Quotations: Familiar 7. Quotations: Non-fiction 8. Usage Frequency | 9. Expressions 10. Expressions: Internet 11. Translations: Modern 12. Derivations | 13. Rhymes 14. Anagrams 15. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
