- [uncountable, singular] a situation in which different things exist in equal, correct or good amounts
- Try to maintain a good balance of carbohydrates and protein in your diet.
- Tourists often disturb the delicate balance of nature on the island.
- His wife's death disturbed the balance of his mind.
- balance between A and B Try to keep a balance between work and relaxation.
- in balance It is important to keep the different aspects of your life in balance.
Extra Examples- How do you find an acceptable balance between closeness and distance in a relationship?
- Pulling up all the plants will disturb the natural balance of the pond.
- There is an even gender balance among staff and students.
- With children, it is important to achieve the right balance between love and discipline.
- You have to maintain a balance in your life or else you'll go crazy.
- The diet should contain a healthy balance of foods.
- Does the course offer the right balance between academic and practical work?
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- changing
- shifting
- military
- …
- affect
- change
- shift
- …
- change
- shift
- swing
- …
- the balance of advantage
- the balance of forces
- the balance of power
- …
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- [uncountable] the ability to keep steady with an equal amount of weight on each side of the body
- Athletes need a good sense of balance.
- I struggled to keep my balance on my new skates.
- She cycled round the corner, lost her balance and fell off.
Extra Examples- Cats have a very good sense of balance.
- Gymnasts have excellent balance.
- He set his feet wider and adjusted his balance.
- Tightness in one set of muscles will affect your whole balance.
- Yoga improves balance as well as flexibility.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- excellent
- good
- poor
- …
- have
- affect
- improve
- …
- beam
- off balance
- a sense of balance
- [countable, usually singular] the amount that is left after taking numbers or money away from a total
- to check your bank balance (= to find out how much money there is in your account)
- Consider a balance transfer to a credit card with a lower rate of interest (= = moving the amount owed from one card to another).
Extra ExamplesTopics Moneyb1- Everyone likes to have a healthy bank balance.
- He checked the balance of his current account.
- Interest is calculated on the daily cleared balance and paid direct to your account.
- The balance of the proceeds will be used for new equipment.
- That figure is the balance brought forward from the previous year.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- account
- bank
- cash
- …
- have
- ask for
- request
- …
- the balance of payments
- the balance of trade
- [countable, usually singular] an amount of money still owed after some payment has been made
- The balance of $500 must be paid within 90 days.
- I'll pay the balance later.
- The final balance is due six weeks before departure.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- account
- bank
- cash
- …
- have
- ask for
- request
- …
- the balance of payments
- the balance of trade
- the balance (of something) the largest part of a group or an amount; the position of advantage or attention
- The balance of opinion was that work was more important than leisure.
- The balance has now shifted from the unions to employers.
Extra Examples- The balance of economists are expecting a rise in interest rates.
- He argues that the balance has swung too far in favour of capitalism.
- [countable] an instrument for weighing things, with a bar that is supported in the middle and has dishes hanging from each end
equal amounts
of body
money
largest part
instrument for weighing
Word OriginMiddle English (in sense 5 of the noun): from Old French balance (noun), balancer (verb), based on late Latin (libra) bilanx ‘(balance) having two scale pans’, from bi- ‘twice, having two’ + lanx ‘scale pan’.
Idioms
See balance in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee balance in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English(on) the balance of evidence/probability
- (formal) (considering) the evidence on both sides of an argument, to find the most likely reason for or result of something
- The balance of evidence suggests the Liberal party's decline began before the First World War.
- The coroner thought that on the balance of probabilities, the pilot had suffered a stroke just before the crash.
(be/hang) in the balance
- if the future of something/somebody, or the result of something is/hangs in the balance, it is not certain
- The long-term future of the space programme hangs in the balance.
- Tom’s life hung in the balance for two weeks as he lay in a coma.
(catch/throw somebody) off balance
- to make somebody unsteady and in danger of falling
- I was thrown off balance by the sudden gust of wind.
- The sudden movement threw him off balance.
- to make somebody surprised and no longer calm
- The senator was clearly caught off balance by the unexpected question.
on balance
- after considering all the information
- On balance, the company has had a successful year.
redress the balance
- to make a situation equal or fair again
- For years poorer children have had to put up with a lower quality education, and now is the time to redress the balance.
strike a balance (between A and B)
- to manage to find a way of being fair to two things that are opposed to each other; to find an acceptable position that is between two things
- We need to strike a balance between these conflicting interests.
tip the balance/scales
(also swing the balance)
- to affect the result of something in one way rather than another
- In an interview, smart presentation can tip the balance in your favour.
- New evidence tipped the balance against the prosecution.
Check pronunciation:
balance