Commentary: BALANCE[+state][+physical][+equilibrium]
Examples:
John lost his balance and fell into the river.
Older people sometimes experience problems with their balance.
Tom's sailboat has good balance (sails straight without rudder adjustment)
The intrusion of this new insect has upset the ecological balance of the wetlands.
A rough patch on the ice threw the skater off balance. (literally) Contrast this to Sense 16.
Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1
Commentary: BALANCE[+state][+financial][+equality][+debit_credit]
NOTE: occurs as a modifier with 'sheet', narrow usage
Examples:
On a balance sheet, the amount of debit and the amount of credit should be equal.
Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 12
Commentary: BALANCE[+quality][+aesthetic][+harmonious][+well_proportioned]
Examples:
The building's graceful columns added balance to the tall and otherwise stark facade.
The painter achieves a beautiful balance of light and shadow in this portrait.
The elements of the room seemed out of balance with each other. (poor interior decoration)
Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 2
Commentary: BALANCE[+quality][+impartiality]
NOTE: a narrow usage of Sense 7, here refers always to impartiality
Examples:
Critics felt there was little balance in the documentary, it only showed one side of the issue.
They felt there should be more balance in the news coverage about the war.
Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 3
Commentary: BALANCE[+quantity][+sum][+difference][+remainder]
NOTE: often refers to sum of money, but can be quantities of things as well
Examples:
Some of the ore was shipped to China and the balance of it was shipped to Vietnam.
The candidate pointed to his nation's unfavorable balance of trade. (difference between imports and exports)
The balance of the payment is due on March 1. (what is left to be paid)
The balance in Mary's checking account was low after she paid the monthly bills.
He made an error in his checkbook balance. (the calculation showing the correct remainder in the account)
Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 4, 5
Commentary: BALANCE[+quality][+symmetry][+mathematical]
Examples:
A diameter on a circle creates two semicircles of perfect balance.
The left-right symmetry, or balance, of six water glasses set on a round table is broken once someone picks up a glass with their left or right hand; thereafter all the others must choose only to their right, or only to their left.
Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 8
Commentary: BALANCE[+relation][+role][+equalizer]
NOTE: refers to anything, concrete or abstract, that functions as a counterweight to something else.
Examples:
The magazine gave advice about how to achieve balance between work and home life.
Overseas investments can add balance to a financial portfolio.
The cooling mint provides a balance to the hot, spicy flavors of the dish.
Their acquisition of nuclear weapons may disrupt the current balance of power in that region. (i.e., the acquisition will override the existing counterbalance)
The skipper had the crew stand to one side for balance while the boat was heeling opposite.
Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 9
Commentary: BALANCE[+entity][+artifact][+wheel][+oscillating][+regulatory][+of_machine][+moving]
Examples:
We marveled at the tiny balance which drove the watch mechanisms.
The technical museum had several different balance wheels on display.
Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 10
Commentary: BALANCE[+entity][+artifact][+scale][+weighing]
Examples:
The butcher weighed my steaks on his electronic balance.
The farmer's market has old-fashioned balances for weighing vegetables.
Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 11
Commentary: BALANCE[+state][+emotional][+stability]
Examples:
John's recent irrational outbreaks at work have made people question his balance.
Only individuals with exceptional balance and discipline will be chosen for interplanetary space travel.
Mappings:
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: 9
Commentary: BALANCE[+entity][+artifact][+apparatus][+gymnastic][+beam]
Examples:
The young gymnast did some incredible flips and handstands on the balance.
He had a point deducted for his dismount from the balance beam.
Mappings:
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: 1a
Commentary: BALANCE[+quantity][+volume][+relative][+loudness][+between_sources]
Examples:
John adjusted the balance of treble and bass on his stereo speakers.
The band was practicing in the concert hall, adjusting the balance of their instruments.
Mappings:
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: 2b
Commentary: IDIOM: in_the_balance
Examples:
The fate of the world was hanging in the balance of the hero's ability to stop the villain.
Mappings:
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: Idiom
Commentary: IDIOM: on_balance
Examples:
On balance, I'd say the CEO was pleased with our presentation.
Mappings:
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: Idiom
Commentary: IDIOM: strike_a_balance
Examples:
These clothes strike a balance between fashion and practicality.
The participants at the town meeting were able to strike a balance between the business developers and the environmentalists.
Mappings:
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: Idiom
Commentary: IDIOM: catch/put_off_balance
Examples:
Her question caught him off balance during the meeting
We don't want to be caught off balance by any new attacks from their campaign.
Mappings:
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: Idiom
Commentary: Automatically generated NOTA sense (bbn)
Examples:
Mappings: