equilibrium

[ee-kwuh-lib-ree-uh m, ek-wuh-] /ˌi kwəˈlɪb ri əm, ˌɛk wə-/
noun, plural equilibriums, equilibria
[ee-kwuh-lib-ree-uh, ek-wuh-] /ˌi kwəˈlɪb ri ə, ˌɛk wə-/ (Show IPA)
1.
a state of rest or balance due to the equal action of opposing forces.
2.
equal balance between any powers, influences, etc.; equality of effect.
3.
mental or emotional balance; equanimity:
The pressures of the situation caused her to lose her equilibrium.
4.
Chemistry. the condition existing when a chemical reaction and its reverse reaction proceed at equal rates.
Origin
1600-10; < Latin aequilībrium, equivalent to aequi- equi- + lībr(a) balance + -ium -ium
Related forms
equilibratory
[ih-kwil-uh-bruh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, ee-kwuh-lib-ruh-, ek-wuh-] /ɪˈkwɪl ə brəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i, ˌi kwəˈlɪb rə-, ˌɛk wə-/ (Show IPA), adjective
nonequilibrium, noun
Synonyms
1. equipoise, steadiness, stability.
Examples from the web for equilibrium
  • The whole shebang reaches a kind of balance called hydrostatic equilibrium.
  • After the avalanche a new state of equilibrium is established.
  • Sometimes a bad mix can cause dizziness or a loss of equilibrium.
  • He believed, as the classicists do, that economies reach an equilibrium.
  • The revelation throws off her already-shaky emotional equilibrium.
  • We'll see how long this equilibrium lasts, but it feels good for now.
  • The equilibrium shape of a rotating star--or planet, for that matter--is not a sphere, but rather an flattened oblate spheroid.
  • This equilibrium is observable when atmospheric carbon dioxide is measured.
  • Steve's call upset my equilibrium.
  • Nathanial has reduced the issue, correctly in my opinion, to the basic punctuated equilibrium position.
British Dictionary definitions for equilibrium

equilibrium

/ˌiːkwɪˈlɪbrɪəm/
noun (pl) -riums, -ria (-rɪə)
1.
a stable condition in which forces cancel one another
2.
a state or feeling of mental balance; composure
3.
any unchanging condition or state of a body, system, etc, resulting from the balance or cancelling out of the influences or processes to which it is subjected See thermodynamic equilibrium
4.
(physics) a state of rest or uniform motion in which there is no resultant force on a body
5.
(chem) the condition existing when a chemical reaction and its reverse reaction take place at equal rates
6.
(physics) the condition of a system that has its total energy distributed among its component parts in the statistically most probable manner
7.
(physiol) a state of bodily balance, maintained primarily by special receptors in the inner ear
8.
the economic condition in which there is neither excess demand nor excess supply in a market
Word Origin
C17: from Latin aequilībrium, from aequi-equi- + lībra pound, balance
Word Origin and History for equilibrium
n.

c.1600, from Latin aequilibrium, from aequus "equal" (see equal) + libra "a balance, scale, plummet" (see Libra).

equilibrium in Medicine

equilibrium e·qui·lib·ri·um (ē'kwə-lĭb'rē-əm, ěk'wə-)
n.

  1. A condition in which all influences acting upon it are canceled by others, resulting in a stable, balanced, or unchanging system.

  2. The state of a chemical reaction in which its forward and reverse reactions occur at equal rates so that the concentration of the reactants and products does not change with time. Also called dynamic equilibrium.

  3. Mental or emotional balance.

equilibrium in Science
equilibrium
  (ē'kwə-lĭb'rē-əm)   
Plural equilibriums or equilibria

  1. Physics The state of a body or physical system that is at rest or in constant and unchanging motion. A system that is in equilibrium shows no tendency to alter over time. ◇ If a system is in static equilibrium, there are no net forces and no net torque in the system. ◇ If a system is in stable equilibrium, small disturbances to the system cause only a temporary change before it returns to its original state.

  2. Chemistry The state of a reversible chemical reaction in which its forward and reverse reactions occur at equal rates so that the concentration of the reactants and products remains the same.


equilibrium in Culture

equilibrium definition


In economics, a state of the economy in which for every commodity or service (including labor), total supply and demand are exactly equal. Equilibrium is never actually attained; it is approximated by movements of the market.

Note: Keynesian economics departed from conventional economic theory in demonstrating that economic equilibrium and full employment need not occur together. Therefore, as a system tends toward equilibrium, it might not eliminate unemployment.

equilibrium definition


A condition in which all influences acting cancel each other, so that a static or balanced situation results. In physics, equilibrium results from the cancellation of forces acting on an object. In chemistry, it occurs when chemical reactions are proceeding in such a way that the amount of each substance in a system remains the same. (See chemical equilibrium.)