a stable situation in which forces cancel one another
"The tightrope walker maintained her balance by shifting her weight until the downward pull of gravity and the upward tension of the rope reached equilibrium."
a chemical reaction and its reverse proceed at equal rates
"In a state of dynamic equilibrium, the forward chemical reaction proceeds at exactly the same rate as the reverse reaction."
equality of distribution
"The teacher adjusted the seating arrangement until there was an equilibrium of students in every classroom."
a sensory system located in structures of the inner ear that registers the orientation of the head
"The semicircular canals are part of the equilibrium system that helps your brain detect how your head is tilted."
The condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced, resulting in no net change.
"The chemical reaction reached equilibrium when the forward and reverse rates became equal, leaving the concentrations of reactants and products unchanged."
In plain English: Equilibrium is when all forces are balanced so that nothing moves or changes position.
"The tightrope walker carefully adjusted her pole to maintain equilibrium while crossing the wire."
Usage: Use equilibrium to describe a state where opposing forces or factors balance each other out perfectly. This term is often applied to physical systems like chemical reactions or abstract situations such as market stability and emotional composure.
The word equilibrium comes from the Latin aequilībrium, which was formed by combining words meaning "equal" and "balance." It entered English to describe a state of perfect stability where opposing forces are in exact balance.