equilibrate

[ ih-kwil-uh-breyt, ee-kwuh-lahy-breyt, ek-wuh- ]

verb (used with object)

, e·quil·i·brat·ed, e·quil·i·brat·ing.

1. to balance equally; keep in equipoise or equilibrium.
2. to be in equilibrium with; counterpoise.

verb (used without object)

, e·quil·i·brat·ed, e·quil·i·brat·ing.

1. to be in equilibrium; balance.

equilibrate

/ ˌiːkwɪˈlaɪbreɪt; ˌiːkwɪlaɪˈbreɪʃən; ɪˈkwɪlɪˌbreɪt; ɪˈkwɪlɪˌbreɪtə; ɪˌkwɪlɪ- /

verb

1. to bring to or be in equilibrium; balance

Derived Forms

• equilibration, noun
• equilibrator, noun

Other Words From

• e·quili·bration noun
• e·quili·brator noun
• une·quili·brated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of equilibrate¹

1625–35; < Late Latin aequilībrātus, past participle of aequilībrāre to be in equilibrium; -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of equilibrate¹

C17: from Late Latin aequilībrāre, from aequilībris in balance; see equilibrium

Example Sentences

His team observed little change in the plankton community when it added seawater that was “pretreated” with alkalinity and allowed to equilibrate with atmospheric CO2, a method some scientists see as a potentially gentler way to add alkalinity because the CO2-capturing reactions take place before the alkaline solution reaches the ocean.

From Science Magazine

Without the sunlight — an external source of energy — the temperature of the rod will equilibrate to the temperature of its environment.

From Salon

“Whenever there is a new recommendation, there are the early adopters who are extremely eager to want to get that booster right now,” she said, adding that “supply and demand will equilibrate in short order.”

From Seattle Times

Failure to equilibrate is of great interest in statistical physics, and the advent of ultracold atomic experiments has reinforced it as a very active field of contemporary physics research.

From Scientific American

For example, in thermodynamics, when gases of two different temperatures mix, they equilibrate at a common intermediate temperature.

From Science Magazine