imbalance

noun
im·​bal·​ance | \ (ˌ)im-ˈba-lən(t)s How to pronounce imbalance (audio) \

Definition of imbalance

: lack of balance : the state of being out of equilibrium or out of proportion a vitamin imbalance racial imbalance in schools

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Other Words from imbalance

imbalanced \ (ˌ)im-​ˈba-​lən(t)st How to pronounce imbalanced (audio) \ adjective

Examples of imbalance in a Sentence

Her depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. the problem of racial imbalance in schools

Recent Examples on the Web

The result of such imbalance is increased pressure put on power production from the trio of Arenado, Story and Blackmon, especially considering that league-wide 51 players are on pace to hit 30 or more home urns. Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, "With baseball amid a historic power surge, the Rockies find themselves behind the home run curve," 18 Aug. 2019 The results of the study, which was published Friday (Aug. 2), paint a stark portrait of that imbalance. Chris Eggertsen, Billboard, "Female Artists Account for Just 21% of Songs on Billboard's Country Airplay Chart, New Study Finds," 2 Aug. 2019 No assessor can remedy the inherent unfairness of that imbalance. Bhaskar Chakravorti, The Conversation, "Why Facebook’s new ‘privacy cop’ is doomed to fail," 29 July 2019 The cause and consequence of this imbalance is that most races are designed with men in mind. The Economist, "For women, running is still an act of defiance," 28 June 2019 Part of that imbalance was because the Blues were awarded four power plays (double the Boston chances). Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, "Here’s how the Bruins turned the tables on the Blues in Game 6," 10 June 2019 This year on March 8, International Women’s Day is highlighting the problem of gender imbalance with the theme #BalanceforBetter. National Geographic, "25 places where women are in charge," 5 Mar. 2019 Yoga also helps to prevent injury by correcting muscle imbalances and increasing the functional range of motion and stability in your joints. Hayden Carpenter, Outside Online, "12 Yoga Poses for Climbers to Do Daily," 9 Aug. 2019 But the imbalance also stems from priorities set at the top. The Economist, "America grapples with a lethal mix of terrorism and lax gun laws," 8 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'imbalance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of imbalance

circa 1890, in the meaning defined above

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More Definitions for imbalance

imbalance

noun

English Language Learners Definition of imbalance

: a state or condition in which different things do not occur in equal or proper amounts

imbalance

noun
im·​bal·​ance | \ (ˈ)im-ˈbal-ən(t)s How to pronounce imbalance (audio) \

Medical Definition of imbalance

: lack of balance : the state of being out of equilibrium or out of proportion: as
a : loss of parallel relation between the optical axes of the eyes caused by faulty action of the extrinsic muscles and often resulting in diplopia
b : absence of biological equilibrium a vitamin imbalance if the ductus arteriosus fails to close, a circulatory imbalance results— E. B. Steen & Ashley Montagu
c : a disproportion between the number of males and females in a population

Other Words from imbalance

imbalanced \ -​ən(t)st How to pronounce imbalanced (audio) \ adjective

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