均衡
Meaning in Englishequilibrium, balance
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
The word 均衡 directly means a state in which opposing forces, quantities, or influences are held in a steady relationship so that no side dominates; it denotes structural or functional balance and the condition of equilibrium across systems, relations, or distributions.
Main meanings
- Used to describe a stable relationship between opposing powers or interests in politics and diplomacy.
- Refers to economic states such as a balanced budget, trade balance, or market stability.
- Indicates a physical or chemical equilibrium where reactions or forces are stable.
- Applied metaphorically to personal, organizational, or competitive contexts to mean maintained stability or parity.
How to use it
Most often found in formal or written contexts—academic papers, news, policy, economics, and scientific descriptions—used to describe stable states or conditions; speakers will use it in technical analyses, official reports, or formal discussions rather than casual conversation, and it commonly appears with verbs that indicate maintaining, disrupting, or restoring balance.
Variants and close terms
- 均等 (kintou) — evenness, equality
- 平衡 (heikou) — equilibrium, balance (synonym often used in scientific contexts)
- 不均衡 (fukinkou) — imbalance, disequilibrium (antonym)
- バランス (baransu) — balance (loanword, more casual)
Composition
- 均 (kin): conveys evenness, uniformity, or equality; often used for distribution or leveling.
- 衡 (kou): relates to weighing, scales, or equilibrium; implies comparison of opposing measures.
- Together they form the compound meaning a measured or maintained equilibrium—literally the idea of 'even scales' or balanced measure.
Etymology
均衡 (kinkou) is a Sino-Japanese (kango) compound formed from Chinese readings; the pronunciation derives from Middle Chinese roots corresponding to Mandarin jūn and héng, adopted into Japanese using on'yomi readings to become the modern kinkou pronunciation.
Origin
The term entered Japanese as part of classical Sino-Japanese vocabulary and was used in scholarly and administrative texts; it gained wider modern usage during the Meiji era when Western economics and scientific concepts were translated into Japanese, becoming a standard term in economics, science, and policy.
Word class
noun (名詞)