counterweight

noun

coun·​ter·​weight ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌwāt How to pronounce counterweight (audio)
: an equivalent weight or force : counterbalance
counterweight transitive verb

Examples of counterweight in a Sentence

The crane has a heavy counterweight on the back. hard work can often be a counterweight to modest intelligence
Recent Examples on the Web Even then, the probability of being a counterweight to Google is small. Rachel Metz, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024 Our clients and consumers count on us to be a counterweight to the substantial market power of manufacturers, which have sole discretion in setting and raising prices for their products. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 8 Feb. 2024 Last November, OpenAI, which was originally founded to provide a counterweight to the power of Big Tech in AI, unveiled ChatGPT to the world. Caroline O'Donovan, Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2023 Instead of the original’s thumping drum beat, Sampha used only a spare, skittering percussion track which provided a steely counterweight to the tender thrum of his piano and vocals. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2023 End of carousel Christian Dior, functionally a counterweight to these picaresque Nazi adventures, spends much of the series anxious, conflicted and stuck. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024 Ronald Northern picked up a large rock, planning to use it as a counterweight to keep a tarp from blowing away in the wind. Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Feb. 2024 Laker, whose personality is a mellow counterweight to Novak’s kinetic disposition, has a dry affect. Carrie Battan, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024 Beijing did not have the means or predisposition to act as a reliable strategic counterweight for Moscow’s benefit. Thomas Graham, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'counterweight.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1693, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterweight was in 1693

Dictionary Entries Near counterweight

Cite this Entry

“Counterweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterweight. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

counterweight

noun
coun·​ter·​weight ˈkau̇nt-ər-ˌwāt How to pronounce counterweight (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on counterweight

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