IMBALANCE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does imbalance mean? 

• IMBALANCE (noun)
  The noun IMBALANCE has 2 senses:

1. a lack of balance or state of disequilibrium

2. (mathematics) a lack of symmetry

  Familiarity information: IMBALANCE used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IMBALANCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A lack of balance or state of disequilibrium

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

imbalance; instability; unbalance

Context example:

a hormonal imbalance

Hypernyms ("imbalance" is a kind of...):

disequilibrium (loss of equilibrium attributable to an unstable situation in which some forces outweigh others)

Antonym:

balance (a state of equilibrium)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(mathematics) a lack of symmetry

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

asymmetry; dissymmetry; imbalance

Hypernyms ("imbalance" is a kind of...):

spatial property; spatiality (any property relating to or occupying space)

Domain category:

math; mathematics; maths (a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "imbalance"):

geometrical irregularity; irregularity (an irregular asymmetry in shape; an irregular spatial pattern)

lopsidedness; skewness (an oblique or slanting asymmetry)

radial asymmetry (the absence of symmetry about an axis)

handedness; laterality (the property of using one hand more than the other)

footedness (the property of favoring one foot over the other (as in kicking a ball))

eyedness (the property of favoring one eye over the other (as in taking aim))

 Context examples 

These phenotypes are often seen in the karyotype of cancer cells, where there is an imbalance between the mechanisms of cell-cycle control and mutation rates within aberrant genes.

(Genomic Instability, NCI Thesaurus)

The body relies on cells to process and store energy, and changes in genes that regulate these functions can cause an imbalance that leads to excessive energy storage and weight gain.

(Researchers link single gene variation to obesity, NIH)

Other problems that can raise blood sugar include infections, certain medicines, hormone imbalances, or severe illnesses.

(Hyperglycemia, NIH)

Scientists found extracts of Broccoli can tweak chemical imbalances in the brains of people with the condition.

(Key to Treating Schizophrenia May Be Found in Broccoli, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

These imbalances may contribute to depression, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and even cancer.

(Neurons That Control Brain's Body Clock Identified, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A chemical imbalance may be caused by certain tumors and can cause changes in behavior or emotion.

(Chemical imbalance, NCI Dictionary)

It can also lead to feelings of worthlessness, imbalances such as oversleeping or insomnia, and trigger thoughts of suicide.

(Depression - men far more at risk than women in deprived areas, University of Cambridge)

Therefore, defects in this receptor could result in an imbalance of calcium homeostasis that might trigger cell death.

(Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

Symptoms include dizziness, imbalance, nausea, and vision problems.

(Inner Ear Disorder, NCI Thesaurus)

But interestingly, study participants lost even more body fat during the fat-restricted diet, as it resulted in a greater imbalance between the fat eaten and fat burned.

(Study finds cutting dietary fat reduces body fat more than cutting carbs, NIH)