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counterbalance

Syllabification: (coun·ter·bal·ance)
Translate counterbalance | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of counterbalance

noun

  • a weight that balances another weight.
  • a factor having the opposite effect to that of another and so preventing it from exercising a disproportionate influence:his restoration to power was intended as a counterbalance to his rival’s influence

verb

[with object]
  • (of a weight) balance (another weight).
  • neutralize or cancel by exerting an opposite influence:the extra cost of mail order may be counterbalanced by its convenience

counterbalance in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of counterbalance in the British & World English dictionary
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