imbalance

noun

im·bal·ance | \ (ˌ)im-ˈba-lən(t)s

Definition of imbalance

: lack of balance : the state of being out of equilibrium or out of proportion a vitamin imbalance racial imbalance in schools

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Examples of imbalance in a Sentence

Her depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. the problem of racial imbalance in schools

Recent Examples on the Web

Distortion is less than 1 percent @ 101 decibels (20 micropascals), and channel imbalance is less than 1.5 decibels (at 1,000 hertz). — Jim Rossman, The Seattle Times, "Tech review: Simgot in-ear monitors offer great sound and a great price," 13 Apr. 2019 The imbalance is a legacy of Renault’s investment in Nissan when the Japanese company was under financial duress. — Nick Kostov, WSJ, "Nissan Enlisted Japanese Government to Fend Off Renault Merger," 15 Feb. 2019 So the trade imbalance between both countries is now worse. — Alexia Fernández Campbell, Vox, "Trump’s trade war on Christmas," 29 Nov. 2018 How that happened is a lesson in the economics of imbalances. — Josh Zumbrun, WSJ, "Why Trump’s Effort to Narrow the Trade Gap Has Flopped So Far," 2 Mar. 2019 Dishotsky says the firm picks locations based on a number of criteria, including area job creation, the housing supply and demand imbalance, and regional job diversity. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Coliving scales up with larger buildings, and bigger ambitions," 31 Oct. 2018 There's a lot of voter registration imbalance in some of them. — Fox News, "Preparations for a Trump-Kim summit getting back on track," 3 June 2018 An imbalance of buyers and sellers disrupted trading among bonds and other assets early in the session, traders said, spurring larger-than-average price fluctuations. — Michael Wursthorn, WSJ, "Wild Markets Pinch Trading, Vexing Investors," 7 Dec. 2018 And the #MeToo movement has been a sobering and infuriating reminder of the ugliness that results when there is an imbalance of power, ignorance of privilege and lack of respect. — Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, "Becky Hammon's hiring as NBA coach will send an important message – to men," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'imbalance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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25 Apr 2019

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The first known use of imbalance was circa 1890

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More Definitions for imbalance

imbalance

noun

English Language Learners Definition of imbalance

: a state or condition in which different things do not occur in equal or proper amounts

See the full definition for imbalance in the English Language Learners Dictionary

imbalance

noun

im·bal·ance | \ (ˈ)im-ˈbal-ən(t)s

Medical Definition of imbalance

: lack of balance : the state of being out of equilibrium or out of proportion: as

a : loss of parallel relation between the optical axes of the eyes caused by faulty action of the extrinsic muscles and often resulting in diplopia

b : absence of biological equilibrium a vitamin imbalance if the ductus arteriosus fails to close, a circulatory imbalance results— E. B. Steen & Ashley Montagu

c : a disproportion between the number of males and females in a population