balance meaning
- A state of equilibrium
- Equality between the totals of the credit and debit sides of an account
- Harmonious arrangement or relation of parts or elements within a whole (as in a design)
"in all perfectly beautiful objects there is found the opposition of one part to another and a reciprocal balance"
- proportion, proportionality - Equality of distribution
- equilibrium, equipoise, counterbalance - Something left after other parts have been taken away
"he took what he wanted and I got the balance"
- remainder, residual, residue, residuum, rest - The difference between the totals of the credit and debit sides of an account
- (mathematics) an attribute of a shape or relation; exact reflection of form on opposite sides of a dividing line or plane
- symmetry, symmetricalness, correspondence - A weight that balances another weight
- counterweight, counterbalance, counterpoise, equalizer, equaliser [Brit] - A wheel that regulates the rate of movement in a machine; especially a wheel oscillating against the hairspring of a timepiece to regulate its beat
- balance wheel - A scale for weighing; depends on pull of gravity
- Bring into balance or equilibrium
"She has to balance work and her domestic duties"; "balance the two weights"
- equilibrate, equilibrize, equilibrise [Brit] - Compute credits and debits of an account
- Hold or carry in equilibrium
- poise - Be in equilibrium
"He was balancing on one foot"
- (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Libra
- Libra - The seventh sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about September 23 to October 22
- Libra, Libra the Balance, Libra the Scales
Derived forms: balancing, balances, balanced
See also: balancer
Type of: account, arrangement, be, bear, calculate, carry, component, component part, constituent, construction, difference, equality, equilibrium, fit, hold, house, individual, mansion, match, mortal, part, person, placement, planetary house, portion, remainder, scale, sign, sign of the zodiac, somebody, someone, soul, spatial property, spatiality, star sign, structure, weighing machine, weight, wheel
Part of: account, account statement, accounting, horologe, timekeeper, timepiece
Encyclopedia: Balance
[Business]
noun, verb
■ noun
ADVERSE BALANCE, ADVERSE TRADE BALANCE, BANK BALANCE, CLOSING BALANCE, COMPENSATING BALANCE, COMPETITIVE BALANCE, CREDIT BALANCE, DEBIT BALANCE, LIFE-BALANCE, LIFE-WORK BALANCE, OPENING BALANCE, TRADE BALANCE, TRIAL BALANCE, UNFAVOURABLE BALANCE, UNFAVOURABLE TRADE BALANCE, VISIBLE BALANCE, WORK-LIFE BALANCE
1 [C, usually sing.]
the difference in a bank account between the total amount of money coming in and the total amount going out at a particular time:
The company's cash balance increased to $4.5 billion this quarter.
Enter your password to check your account balance online.
⇨ BANK BALANCE
2 (Accounting ) [C, usually sing.]
in a company's financial records, the difference between the total debits and total credits in a particular account:
The balance on the profit and loss account at 31st March 2005 was $75 738.
transferring a balance from a revenue or expense account to a profit and loss account
3 [C, usually sing.]
the amount of money still owed after sb has paid part of the total:
A 10% deposit is required, with the balance payable on completion of the work.
4 [C]
an amount of money that sb owes to the bank, etc. at a particular time, because they have bought things using a credit card:
The average consumer has an outstanding balance of $1 500 on his or her credit card.
I try to pay off my monthly credit-card balance in full.
5 [U]
what remains of sth after part of it has been used or taken:
The balance of your order will be supplied when we have new stock.
6 [U; sing.]
a situation in which different things exist in equal, correct or good amounts:
Try to keep a balance between work and relaxation.
IDIOMS
on balance
after considering all the information:
On balance, we have had a good year.
REDRESS verb, STRIKE verb
■ verb
1 (Accounting ) [+ obj] balance sth (off)
in a company's financial records, to compare the total debits and the total credits in an account and calculate the amount needed to make them equal:
It only needs an hour or so a month to organize and balance the accounts.
All the accounts should have been balanced off correctly.
2 (Accounting ) [no obj]
if an account balances, the debit and credit sides are equal:
These figures don't balance. There must be a mistake somewhere.
3 [+ obj]
to spend only the money that is available; to make the money available equal to the amount of money spent:
The spending cuts are part of the government's plan to balance its budget.
We have transferred $5 000 from our deposits to balance the accounts.
4 [+ obj or no obj] balance (sth) (out)
to be equal in value, amount, etc. to sth else that has the opposite effect:
This year's profits will balance our previous losses.
The advantages and disadvantages seem to balance out.
His lack of experience is balanced by a willingness to learn.
5 [+ obj] balance A against B
to compare the relative importance of two contrasting things:
The cost of bringing in consultants needs to be balanced against the benefits.
[Defence]
A concept as applied to an arms control measure that connotes: a.
adjustments of armed forces and armaments in such a manner that one state does not obtain military advantage over other states agreeing to the measure; and b.
internal adjustments by one state of its forces in such manner as to enable it to cope with all aspects of remaining threats to its security in a post arms control agreement era.
balanced stock(s)
[Electronics]
1. See BRIDGE.
2. To null a bridge or similar circuit.
3. To equalize loads, voltages, or signals between two circuits or components.
4. In a high-fidelity stereo sound system, a control or set of controls that adjusts the relative loudness of the left and right channels.
5. Alignment of a balanced modulator for minimum carrier output amplitude.
6. A condition in which two branches of a circuit have identical impedances, relative to ground.
Examples
More: Next- for a long time his fate was in the balance.
- airlift tipped the balance of the sieges.
- he lunged for it, lost his balance.
- it is our pleasure to submit the balance sheet ...
- i was still balancing the matter in my mind.
