counterweight

noun

coun·​ter·​weight ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌwāt 

: an equivalent weight or force : counterbalance

counterweight transitive verb

Synonyms of counterweight

• offset
• counter
• balance
• counterbalance
• corrective

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

Avila Chevalier has outside help from Justice Democrats and American Priorities, a pro-Palestinian super PAC formed as a counterweight to AIPAC. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 23 June 2026

Her account there is excessive and loose, a counterweight to her essays and memoirs, which can seem opaque and professorial. — Emma Alpern, Vulture, 17 June 2026

But the cure is not to demand that one private foundation become the counterweight to three centuries of capitalist common sense. — The Atlantic, 16 June 2026

As a counterweight, a periphery of mass opinion—a new version of the public sphere—can force fresh items onto the societal agenda. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1693, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for counterweight

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

counterweight

noun

coun·​ter·​weight ˈkau̇nt-ər-ˌwāt 

: counterbalance entry 1 sense 1