counterweight

noun

coun·​ter·​weight ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌwāt How to pronounce counterweight (audio)
: an equivalent weight or force : counterbalance
counterweight transitive verb

Examples of counterweight in a Sentence

The crane has a heavy counterweight on the back. hard work can often be a counterweight to modest intelligence
Recent Examples on the Web On the other side of the Bronx River, Mr. Torres, 35, who is gay and Afro-Latino, has staked out a strikingly different project to the right of many of his peers, offering himself as a counterweight to his party’s leftward lurch. Nicholas Fandos, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2023 And Chandler’s snarky, guarded response to the world became an essential, hilarious counterweight to the sentimentality of the rest of Friends. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2023 So the coincidental release of Morrissey’s song acts as a counterweight to the half-baked ideas in Five Nights at Freddy’s. Armond White, National Review, 1 Nov. 2023 As a counterweight to the grim scenes, the film’s center features the humanity of Mr. Kim and the family. Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Oct. 2023 Trudeau’s allegation came at a tricky time for allies, including the United States, which have been courting India as a counterweight to China. Amanda Coletta, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023 The Biden administration’s push to capitalize diplomatically on the demand for U.S.-built weapons has been particularly notable in Asia, where Washington has been working to bolster alliances as a counterweight to China’s expanding power. Eric Lipton, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023 Even so, with the benchmark 10-year Treasury already above 4 percent, bond yields are high enough to provide a buffer and substantial enough for high-quality bonds to perform their traditional functions: generating income and providing a counterweight to stocks. Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2023 The Biden administration, meanwhile, has been aggressively courting India as a counterweight to China even as Modi has accelerated his country’s descent into autocracy. Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'counterweight.' 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

1693, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterweight was in 1693

Dictionary Entries Near counterweight

Cite this Entry

“Counterweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterweight. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

counterweight

noun
coun·​ter·​weight ˈkau̇nt-ər-ˌwāt How to pronounce counterweight (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on counterweight

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