Equipoise
What it means
A state of balanced weight, force, or judgment.
Reach for it when using a learned term for poised balance between competing considerations
Careful scheduling restored equipoise between work and family time.
Words to choose between 6
| playful | |
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| everyday | |
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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playful
Fits when an acceptable midpoint suits informal discussion
Careful A midpoint can be a poor compromise and is not necessarily equipoised.
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everyday
Fits when accessible wording is more important than elegance
Careful Balance lacks equipoise's image of delicately poised equality.
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warm
Fits when graceful self-command or physical balance is central
Careful Poise applies to a person more naturally than equal forces or arguments.
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professional
counterbalance
Fits when one force offsets another
Careful Counterbalance names the offsetting element or action, not the resulting calm state.
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professional
Fits when a system's opposing forces are stable
Careful Equilibrium sounds technical and less suited to a balanced judgment or posture.
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formal
Fits when equal status or quantity is the exact relation
Careful Parity is numerical or institutional and lacks dynamic balance.
Opposites 3
- imbalance
- lopsidedness
- instability
Common phrases 3
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delicate equipoise
The coalition preserved a delicate equipoise among competing regions.
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state of equipoise
The sculpture seems suspended in a state of equipoise.
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maintain equipoise
The judge worked to maintain equipoise between urgency and care.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated