noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET:D IH0 S IY2 K W AH0 L IH1 B R IY0 AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The loss of equilibrium or stability, especially due to an imbalance of forces.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
loss of equilibrium attributable to an unstable situation in which some forces outweigh others
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: equilibrium
Broader terms: situation, state of affairs
Narrower terms: imbalance, instability, unbalance
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh1 Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Old French des-bor. ▲ Latin dis-bor. Middle English dis- English dis- English equilibrium English disequilibrium From dis- + equilibrium.
Across languages
Translations
16 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Czech:
nerovnováha
— the loss of equilibrium or stability
Dutch:
onevenwichtigheid
— the loss of equilibrium or stability
Dutch:
desequilibrium
— the loss of equilibrium or stability
Dutch:
labiliteit
— the loss of equilibrium or stability
Dutch:
wankelbaarheid
— the loss of equilibrium or stability
German:
Ungleichgewicht
— the loss of equilibrium or stability
Greek:
ανισοσκελία
(anisoskelía)
— the loss of equilibrium or stability
Hindi:
असंतुलन
(asantulan)
— the loss of equilibrium or stability
Irish:
éagothromaíocht
— the loss of equilibrium or stability
Italian:
squilibrio
— the loss of equilibrium or stability
Japanese:
不均衡
(fukinkō)
— the loss of equilibrium or stability
Polish:
nierównowaga
— the loss of equilibrium or stability
Romanian:
dezechilibru
— the loss of equilibrium or stability
Romanian:
instabilitate
— the loss of equilibrium or stability
Romanian:
dezechilibrare
— the loss of equilibrium or stability
Spanish:
desequilibrio
— the loss of equilibrium or stability