equilibrate

verb

equil·​i·​brate i-ˈkwi-lə-ˌbrāt How to pronounce equilibrate (audio)
equilibrated; equilibrating

transitive verb

: to bring into or keep in equilibrium : balance

intransitive verb

: to bring about, come to, or be in equilibrium
equilibration noun
equilibrator noun
equilibratory adjective

Examples of equilibrate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web So basically, until 1980, people tended to move to where wages were highest, and wages were slowly equilibrating between regions, and since 1980, people have begun moving towards where housing costs are low instead of where wages are high. Byalena Botros, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2023 Over time genetic drift will introduce variants private to that group, and greater distance will reduce the power of gene flow to equilibrate between population variance. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 13 May 2011 Even a 1 percent admixture between two populations will quickly equilibrate allele frequency differences, especially considering that on most loci those differences are not of the disjoint character (frequency 0 vs. 1). Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 6 Feb. 2013 The issue is not the rate of intermarriage, rather, one migrant per generation across the two demes will be sufficient to equilibrate allele frequencies. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 7 July 2011 Recall that immediately upon his inauguration as president in 1981, Ronald Reagan did the exact opposite by decontrolling energy prices, allowing markets to efficiently equilibrate in response to price signals. WSJ, 25 Sep. 2022 Margins have started coming back down to average, and sign prices are following as the market begins to equilibrate. Alex Kinnier, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2022 For one thing, there is no world gas market that causes prices to equilibrate the way there is for oil—or coal, wheat, lobsters, etc. Michael Lynch, Forbes, 30 June 2022 But unlike a diamond, this prethermal time crystal is not forever; if the experiment ran for long enough, the system would gradually equilibrate and the cyclical behavior would break down. Quanta Magazine, 2 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'equilibrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of equilibrate was in 1635

Dictionary Entries Near equilibrate

Cite this Entry

“Equilibrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equilibrate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

equilibrate

verb
equil·​i·​brate i-ˈkwil-ə-ˌbrāt How to pronounce equilibrate (audio)
equilibrated; equilibrating

transitive verb

: to bring into or keep in equilibrium

intransitive verb

: to bring about, come to, or be in equilibrium
equilibration noun
equilibratory adjective

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