balance of power
noun phrase
: an equilibrium of power sufficient to discourage or prevent one nation or party from imposing its will on or interfering with the interests of another
Examples of balance of power in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As the military balance of power between China and Taiwan shifts in China’s favor, some have called on the Biden administration to end the long-standing U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity and clearly commit to defending Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.
—
Dan Altman, Foreign Affairs, 2 Feb. 2022
The new space race has the potential to shape the global balance of power.
—Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
With passage of the new Illinois law, that balance of power will for the first time tip toward tribal nations whose ancestral lands became the state of Illinois.
—Logan Jaffe, ProPublica, 5 Aug. 2023
Had Washington not undertaken the Marshall Plan and the North Atlantic Treaty—two then radical departures from the U.S. diplomatic tradition—in the late 1940s, western Europe might have collapsed and taken the global balance of power with it.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2023
For decades, these rival factions maintained a balance of power: The right has led Israel for most of the past four decades, but always in coalition with parts of the center or left.
—Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 23 July 2023
Foreign Affairs has recently published a number of articles on the global balance of power, the future of U.S. hegemony, and how great-power competition is playing out in the developing world.
—Foreign Affairs, 23 May 2023
During the Cold War, each superpower feared that if all of Germany fell to the other, the global balance of power would shift decisively.
—Stephen G. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2023
Georgia at Alabama Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC is exciting, but that doesn't mean the league's balance of power is going to be changing anytime soon.
—Jace Evans, USA TODAY, 15 June 2023
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Dan Altman, Foreign Affairs, 2 Feb. 2022
The new space race has the potential to shape the global balance of power.
—Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
With passage of the new Illinois law, that balance of power will for the first time tip toward tribal nations whose ancestral lands became the state of Illinois.
—Logan Jaffe, ProPublica, 5 Aug. 2023
Had Washington not undertaken the Marshall Plan and the North Atlantic Treaty—two then radical departures from the U.S. diplomatic tradition—in the late 1940s, western Europe might have collapsed and taken the global balance of power with it.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2023
For decades, these rival factions maintained a balance of power: The right has led Israel for most of the past four decades, but always in coalition with parts of the center or left.
—Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 23 July 2023
Foreign Affairs has recently published a number of articles on the global balance of power, the future of U.S. hegemony, and how great-power competition is playing out in the developing world.
—Foreign Affairs, 23 May 2023
During the Cold War, each superpower feared that if all of Germany fell to the other, the global balance of power would shift decisively.
—Stephen G. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2023
Georgia at Alabama Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC is exciting, but that doesn't mean the league's balance of power is going to be changing anytime soon.
—Jace Evans, USA TODAY, 15 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'balance of power.' 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
1679, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near balance of power
Cite this Entry
“Balance of power.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/balance%20of%20power. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on balance of power
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about balance of power
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