coun·ter·bal·ance
ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌba-lən(t)s 
ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈba-
ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈba-
1
: a weight that balances another
2
: a force or influence that offsets or checks an opposing force
coun·ter·bal·ance
ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈba-lən(t)s
ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌba-
ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌba-
counterbalanced; counterbalancing; counterbalances
1
: to oppose or balance with an equal weight or force
2
: to equip with counterbalances
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
Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Higdon added that bystander videos have been a vital counterbalance to police abuses, pointing to the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer that became notorious only after a citizen’s video contradicted an initial police account.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
But their leaders are already pledging to accelerate their efforts to stand on their own, and to work together to counterbalance bigger powers, including not just Russia and China but also now the United States.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterbalance
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Noun
Move Beyond Single Stocks With A Multi-Asset Portfolio Individual selections can be volatile; however, diversified assets counterbalance one another.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Higdon added that bystander videos have been a vital counterbalance to police abuses, pointing to the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer that became notorious only after a citizen’s video contradicted an initial police account.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
Running this way required Emily to adjust her stride constantly, counterbalancing Justin’s movements while maintaining her own footing.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
But their leaders are already pledging to accelerate their efforts to stand on their own, and to work together to counterbalance bigger powers, including not just Russia and China but also now the United States.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterbalance
Cite this Entry
“Counterbalance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterbalance. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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