counterbalance

1 of 2

noun

coun·​ter·​bal·​ance ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌba-lən(t)s 

ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈba-

1

: a weight that balances another

2

: a force or influence that offsets or checks an opposing force

counterbalance

2 of 2

verb

coun·​ter·​bal·​ance ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈba-lən(t)s 

ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌba-

counterbalanced; counterbalancing; counterbalances

transitive verb

1

: to oppose or balance with an equal weight or force

2

: to equip with counterbalances

Synonyms

Noun

• offset
• counter
• balance
• corrective
• counterweight

Verb

• offset
• neutralize
• correct

Examples of counterbalance in a Sentence

Noun

charitable giving is usually a good counterbalance to the self-indulgent commercialism of the Christmas season

Verb

The author's wry humor counterbalances the book's serious subject matter.

a hearty dinner might counterbalance missing lunch

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

According to the filing, the robot allegedly activated without warning and pinned him to the ground with roughly 8,000 lbs of counterbalance weight. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025

For me, building is both art and play, but also a meditative counterbalance to my everyday computer work. —Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025

Verb

First described by Albert Einstein in 1917, the constant was originally a coefficient intended to counterbalance gravitational force in a static universe. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 1 Oct. 2025

The pastel counterbalances the darker and mid-tones in the forecast. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 16 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for counterbalance

• overbalance
• balance
• valance
• vallance
• imbalance
• rebalance
• unbalance

Kids Definition

counterbalance

1 of 2 noun

coun·​ter·​bal·​ance ˈkau̇nt-ər-ˌbal-ən(t)s 

ˌkau̇nt-ər-ˈbal-

1

: a weight that balances another

2

: a force or influence that checks an opposing force

counterbalance

2 of 2 verb

: to oppose or balance with an equal weight or force