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# counterbalance

noun (a counterbalance, counterbalances); verb (counterbalance, counterbalances, counterbalanced, counterbalancing)

«counterbalance» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A weight that balances another weight. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counterbalance/#m1)
2. Something that has an equal and opposite effect to something else. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counterbalance/#m2)
3. To balance something by putting weight or force on the other side. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counterbalance/#m3)
4. To make up for something by having an opposite effect. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counterbalance/#m4)

### In the lessons

In science: a crane has a counterbalance (counterweight) so it does not tip; a see-saw balances when the moments on both sides are equal. In everyday talk: «Fun counterbalances hard work».

### Examples

- The crane uses a heavy counterbalance. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counterbalance/#x1)
- On the see-saw, Dad's weight counterbalanced both of us. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counterbalance/#x2)
- The lift has a counterbalance to make it easier to move. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counterbalance/#x3)
- Good food counterbalanced the long walk. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counterbalance/#x4)
- His calm counterbalances her excitement. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counterbalance/#x5)
- Add weight to the other end to counterbalance the load. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counterbalance/#x6)

### Note

One word. Similar: counterweight, offset. In science, balance happens when weight × distance is the same on each side, not just equal weights.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «counterbalance» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/counterbalance/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«counterbalance» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/counterbalance.html) on Mova free.