Added 9 October 2026
balance
/ˈbæləns/ noun
Latin root: bilanx Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about balance at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- 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
verb
Origin
From Middle English balaunce, from Old French balance, from Late Latin *bilancia, from (accusative form of) Latin bilanx (“two-scaled”), from bi- + lanx (“plate, scale”). Displaced the word — Old English wǣġ akin to Modern English: wey from Proto-West Germanic *wāgu (“scales; weight”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)