What does outbalance mean?
Outbalance means to be greater than something in weight, value, significance, or influence. The comparison can be literal, as when one object has more mass than another, but the verb is more often used figuratively for balancing advantages against disadvantages or judging one consideration against another. For example, a proposal's long-term benefits may outbalance its immediate costs. Its construction can be transitive, as in “the benefits outbalance the drawbacks,” or intransitive in comparisons where the second term is understood. The word has a formal, literary tone and is uncommon in everyday conversation, where “outweigh” usually provides a clearer and more familiar equivalent. Although outbalance resembles the balancing of two forces, its usual implication is asymmetry: one side has greater weight, value, or importance than the other.
verbTo be greater than something in weight, value, importance, or influence; to outweigh it.
- To be greater than something in weight, value, importance, or influence.
- To have greater importance or influence than competing considerations, factors, or alternatives.
"The proposal's long-term benefits outbalance its immediate costs."
"The accuracy of the research outbalanced the modest size of its sample."
"Long-term stability may outbalance the advantages of a rapid expansion."
Outbalance turns the idea of a balanced scale into a forceful comparison: one thing does more than merely match another—it has greater weight or significance.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does outbalance come from?
The word combines the English prefix out-, meaning “beyond” or “greater than,” with balance. Balance entered English from French and ultimately derives from the Latin balancia, a balancing device associated with the Late Latin word bilanx, meaning a beam or balance.
Related word forms
How outbalance is actually used
This is a relatively rare formal or literary verb. In everyday English, “outweigh” is usually the more natural choice.
Easily confused with outbalance
Both mean to exceed another in importance or value, but outweigh is far more common, while outbalance is a rarer formal alternative.