Standard Lemma guide

equilibrium

noun · 8 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɛkwɪˈlɪbɹɪəm/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /iːkwɪˈlɪbɹɪəm/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: 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 condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced, resulting in no net change.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1999, The Matrix, Agent Smith speech Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: balance, stability

Antonyms: disequilibrium, imbalance, instability

2

noun

Meaning 2

Mental balance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sanity

Antonyms: insanity, instability, madness

3

noun

Meaning 3

The state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: disequilibrium, nonequilibrium

5

noun

Meaning 5

a sensory system located in structures of the inner ear that registers the orientation of the head

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: labyrinthine sense, vestibular sense, sense of balance, sense of equilibrium

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: proprioception

6

noun

Meaning 6

a chemical reaction and its reverse proceed at equal rates

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: chemical equilibrium

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: chemical reaction, reaction

Narrower terms: acid-base equilibrium, acid-base balance

7

noun

Meaning 7

equality of distribution

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: balance, equipoise, counterbalance

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: structure, construction

Narrower terms: conformation, symmetry, proportion

8

noun

Meaning 8

a stable situation in which forces cancel one another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: disequilibrium

Broader terms: situation, state of affairs

Narrower terms: balance, balance of power, dynamic balance, homeostasis, isostasy, Nash equilibrium, poise, thermal equilibrium

History

Etymology

From Latin aequilībrium, from equal + lībra (“balance”).

Across languages

Translations

165 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: اِتِّزَان (ittizān) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Arabic: تَوَازُن (tawāzun) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Arabic: تَعَادُل (taʕādul) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Azerbaijani: tarazlıq — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Azerbaijani: müvazinət — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Bhojpuri: संतुलन (santulan) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Bulgarian: равнове́сие (ravnovésie) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Catalan: equilibri — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Chinese Cantonese: 平衡 — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Chinese: 平衡 (zh-min-nan) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Chinese Mandarin: 平衡 (pínghéng) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Czech: rovnováha — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Czech: ekvilibrium — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Danish: ligevægt — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Dutch: evenwicht — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Esperanto: ekvilibro — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Estonian: tasakaal — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Finnish: tasapaino — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • French: équilibre — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • German: Gleichgewicht — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • German: Balance — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Greek: ισορροπία (isorropía) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Hebrew: אִזּוּן ('izuun) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Hebrew: סימביוזה (symbyoza) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Hindi: साम्यावस्था (sāmyāvasthā) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Hindi: संतुलन (santulan) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Hungarian: egyensúly — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Ido: equilibro — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Indonesian: kesetimbangan — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Indonesian: keseimbangan — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Indonesian: ekuilibrium — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Irish: cothromaíocht — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Italian: equilibrio — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Japanese: 均衡 (kinkō) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Japanese: バランス (baransu) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Japanese: 釣り合い (tsuriai) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Japanese: 平衡 (heikō) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Korean: 평형 (pyeonghyeong) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Central Kurdish: ھاوسەنگ (hawseng) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Northern Kurdish: hevsengî — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Latin: aequilībrium — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Latvian: līdzsvars — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Lithuanian: pusiáusvyra — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Lithuanian: ekvili̇̀briumas — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Lithuanian: lygsvara — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Macedonian: рамнотежа (ramnoteža) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Malay: keseimbangan — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Māori: ōritetanga — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Māori: tauritenga — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Khiamniungan Naga: vâu — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Norwegian: ekvilibrium — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Norwegian: likevekt — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Persian: تعادل (ta'âdol) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Polish: równowaga — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Portuguese: equilíbrio — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Romanian: echilibru — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Romanian: stabilitate — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Russian: равнове́сие (ravnovésije) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Russian: бала́нс (baláns) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Scottish Gaelic: co-chothrom — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Spanish: equilibrio — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Swedish: jämvikt — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Tagalog: katiningan — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Turkish: denge — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Turkish: muvazene — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Ottoman Turkish: دنك (denk) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Ottoman Turkish: موازنه (muvâzene) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Ottoman Turkish: اعتدال (i’tidâl) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Ukrainian: рівнова́га (rivnováha) — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Vietnamese: cân bằng — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Welsh: cydbwysedd — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Yoruba: ìgúnrégé — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Yoruba: ìwọ̀ntúnwọ̀nsì — condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced
  • Bulgarian: равнове́сие (ravnovésie) — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Catalan: equilibri — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Chinese Cantonese: 平衡 — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Chinese: 平衡 (zh-min-nan) — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Chinese Mandarin: 平衡 (pínghéng) — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Czech: rovnováha — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Czech: ekvilibrium — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Danish: ligevægt — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Dutch: evenwicht — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Estonian: tasakaal — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Finnish: tasapaino — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • French: équilibre — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • German: Gleichgewicht — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Greek: ισορροπία (isorropía) — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Hebrew: שִׁוּוּי מִּשְׁקָל (shivvuy mishqal) — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Indonesian: kesetimbangan — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Indonesian: ekuilibrium — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Italian: equilibrio — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Italian: quiete — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Japanese: 平衡 (heikō) — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Kazakh: тепе-теңдік (tepe-teñdık) — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Korean: 평형 (pyeonghyeong) — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Lithuanian: rimti̇̀s — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Norwegian: ekvilibrium — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Norwegian: likevekt — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Polish: równowaga — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Portuguese: equilíbrio — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Romanian: echilibru — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Romanian: stabilitate — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Russian: равнове́сие (ravnovésije) — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Spanish: equilibrio — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Tagalog: katiningan — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Turkish: denge — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Turkish: muvazene — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Ottoman Turkish: دنك (denk) — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Ottoman Turkish: موازنه (muvâzene) — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Ottoman Turkish: اعتدال (i’tidâl) — physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero
  • Bulgarian: равнове́сие (ravnovésie) — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Chinese Cantonese: 平衡 — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Chinese: 平衡 (zh-min-nan) — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Chinese Mandarin: 平衡 (pínghéng) — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Czech: rovnováha — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Czech: ekvilibrium — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Danish: ligevægt — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Estonian: tasakaal — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Finnish: tasapaino — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • French: équilibre — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • German: Gleichgewicht — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Greek: ισορροπία (isorropía) — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Hebrew: שִׁוּוּי מִּשְׁקָל (shivvuy mishqal) — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Hebrew: אִזּוּן ('izuun) — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Indonesian: kesetimbangan — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Indonesian: ekuilibrium — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Italian: equilibrio — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Japanese: 平衡 (heikō) — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Korean: 평형 (pyeonghyeong) — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Central Kurdish: ھاوسەنگ (hawseng) — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Māori: tauritenga — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Norwegian: ekvilibrium — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Norwegian: likevekt — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Polish: równowaga — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Portuguese: equilíbrio — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Romanian: echilibru — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Russian: равнове́сие (ravnovésije) — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Spanish: equilibrio — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Tagalog: katiningan — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Turkish: denge — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Turkish: muvazene — chemistry: state of a reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same
  • Bulgarian: равновесие (ravnovesie) — mental balance
  • Danish: sindsligevægt — mental balance
  • Dutch: evenwicht — mental balance
  • Estonian: vaimne tasakaal — mental balance
  • Finnish: tasapaino — mental balance
  • French: équilibre — mental balance
  • German: Ausgeglichenheit — mental balance
  • Greek: διανοητική αταραξία (dianoïtikí ataraxía) — mental balance
  • Greek: ψυχική αταραξία (psychikí ataraxía) — mental balance
  • Greek: ισορροπία (isorropía) — mental balance
  • Greek: ηρεμία (iremía) — mental balance
  • Hebrew: אִזּוּן ('izuun) — mental balance
  • Lithuanian: pusiáusvyra — mental balance
  • Lithuanian: balánsas — mental balance
  • Norwegian: sinnslikevekt — mental balance
  • Polish: równowaga psychiczna — mental balance
  • Portuguese: equilíbrio — mental balance
  • Romanian: echilibru — mental balance
  • Romanian: echilibru mintal — mental balance
  • Romanian: ponderație — mental balance
  • Russian: равнове́сие (ravnovésije) — mental balance
  • Spanish: equilibrio — mental balance
  • Tagalog: katiningan — mental balance
  • Turkish: itidal — mental balance
Real reading context

equilibrium in complete knowledge articles