Meaning & use
balanced
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Made up of parts that are in a sensible or healthy proportion, so that no one part is too large or too small.
Grammar: Usually used before a noun or after be: a balanced diet; her schedule is balanced.
Patterns
- a balanced diet
- a balanced approach to something
- be balanced between things
Doctors recommend a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables and whole grains.
The team has a balanced mix of young and experienced players.
I try to keep a balanced schedule of work, exercise and rest.
adjectivecomparable
Fair and showing several sides of an issue without favoring one over the others.
Grammar: Often describes opinions, reports or coverage: a balanced view; the article was balanced.
Patterns
- a balanced view of something
- a balanced report
The documentary gives a balanced account of the dispute.
She offered a balanced opinion after hearing both sides.
Good teachers give students balanced information and let them decide.
adjectivecomparable
Calm, sensible and steady in character, not given to extremes of emotion.
Grammar: Describes a person or their judgment: a balanced person.
Patterns
- a balanced person
- a balanced judgment
He is a balanced, thoughtful leader who rarely loses his temper.
Her balanced reaction to the bad news impressed everyone.
After the crisis, the committee wanted a balanced head to lead it.
adjectivenot comparable
Steady and evenly weighted, so that it does not fall to one side, or having income that matches spending.
Grammar: Used about physical stability or money: a balanced budget; a balanced scale.
Patterns
- a balanced budget
- a balanced load
The city passed a balanced budget for the first time in a decade.
The mobile hung level because its arms were perfectly balanced.
Keep the load balanced on both sides of the bicycle.
Common combinations
- a balanced diet
- A balanced diet includes protein, fiber and healthy fats.
- balanced budget
- The council promised a balanced budget by next year.
- balanced view
- The editor asked for a more balanced view of the strike.
- balanced approach
- A balanced approach to screen time helps children learn and play.
- well balanced
- The wine was fruity but well balanced.
- balanced lifestyle
- She aims for a balanced lifestyle with time for friends and work.
Synonyms and how they differ
- even
- Even stresses that parts are equal in amount or level, whereas balanced suggests that different things work well together.
- impartial
- Impartial fits only the fairness sense and implies there is no bias at all, which is stronger than balanced.
- level-headed
- Level-headed describes only a calm, sensible person and cannot describe a diet or budget.
- stable
- Stable stresses resistance to falling or changing and does not suggest the right mix of different elements.
Opposites
Word family
- balance noun
- an even distribution, or the steadiness of a body
- balance verb
- to keep steady or to make equal
- balancing noun
- the act of keeping things in proportion
- unbalanced adjective
- not in proportion, or unfair
- imbalance noun
- a lack of proper proportion
Commonly confused: balanced or neutral?
balanced vs neutral
Neutral means taking no side at all, while balanced often means giving fair weight to several sides.
Practice
The newspaper was praised for its ___ coverage, giving space to both the company and the protesters.
Choose one answer.
Balanced coverage treats several sides fairly. Brief, dramatic and delayed describe length, tone or timing and do not capture the fairness described.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “balanced”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.