imbalance
noun
im·bal·ance
(ˌ)im-ˈba-lən(t)s 
plural imbalances
: lack of balance : the state of being out of equilibrium or out of proportion
a structural imbalance
a chemical imbalance in the brain
"… The talks are aimed at reducing the trade imbalance … between the world`s two largest economic powers. …"—
Norah O'Donnell
Norah O'DonnellA key element of the definition of bullying is a power imbalance that enables the abusive behavior.—Patricia Vowinkel
Patricia VowinkelSome have suffered an imbalance of gait known as ataxia.—Lawrence K. Altman
Lawrence K. AltmanExamples 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
Retail sales growth, however, slowed to 5.1% from a year earlier, underscoring the persisting supply-demand imbalance in the economy.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 27 May 2025
The resulting imbalance is on display at every major bilateral summit, where U.S. leaders reaffirm their commitment to defend Japan and Japanese leaders stay silent on whether their forces would assist the U.S. military elsewhere.
—Ely Ratner, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2025
The problem derives from a fundamental power imbalance in factories’ gender makeup.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 23 May 2025
That offsets some of the trade gap in goods and puts the imbalance at 48 billion euros ($54 billion).
—Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for imbalance
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Anniek Bao, CNBC, 27 May 2025
The resulting imbalance is on display at every major bilateral summit, where U.S. leaders reaffirm their commitment to defend Japan and Japanese leaders stay silent on whether their forces would assist the U.S. military elsewhere.
—Ely Ratner, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2025
The problem derives from a fundamental power imbalance in factories’ gender makeup.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 23 May 2025
That offsets some of the trade gap in goods and puts the imbalance at 48 billion euros ($54 billion).
—Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for imbalance
Cite this Entry
“Imbalance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imbalance. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
imbalance
noun
im·bal·ance
(ˈ)im-ˈbal-ən(t)s
: the state of being out of balance or out of proportion
Medical Definition
imbalance
noun
im·bal·ance
(ˈ)im-ˈbal-ən(t)s
: 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
E. B. Steen & Ashley Montagu
c
: a disproportion between the number of males and females in a population
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