English → Latin
“balance” in Latin
trutinabalance, (pair of) scaleslībralibra, Roman pound, a Roman unit of mass, equivalent to about 327 g; scales, a tool used to balance two weights to measustatērasteelyard, balance, scales; value; gradelanxdish, platter, plate; scalepanlībrāmentumweight, gravity; level surface, horizontal plane; evenness, equalitycōnsīderātiōgaze, inspection (act of looking); contemplation, considerationrĕpŭtātĭoA reckoningdēlīberātiōdeliberation, consultation, considerationcomparātiōcomparison; comparative; relationship, relation between two or more things, arrangementpendōto weigh, weigh out; to pay; to consider, ponder
The English word balance itself goes back to Latin lanx, through *bilancia.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
balance s.
for weighing: trutina (τρυτάνη PROP. the hole in which the tongue of the balance plays: then general term for balance: trutinae, quae staterae dicuntur, Vitr., 10, 3, 8, 4): libra (a pair of scales): statera (mostly steel-yard; seldom pair of scales): lanx (the scale of the balance): to weigh in a balance, pendere; trutina examinare (Cic., De Or., 2, 38, 159): not to weigh in too nice a balance, non aurificis statera, sed populari trotina examinare: librare.
Equality of weight, momentum par [not aequilibritas, or aequilibrium. Vid: Dict.] . The balance is destroyed, portionum aequitas turbatur: to disturb the balance of the mind, aequitatem animi turbare (Sen.): in a balance, pari momento, or suis ponderibus libratus: to maintain a balance of power, providere, ne aequa civitatum conditio turbetur: to lose one’s balance, labi.
That which is wanting to make equal, or the difference, quod reliquum restat.
Of a watch, libramentum.
Fig., consideratio; reputatio; deliberatio; comparatio.
balance v.
to keep in equilibrium, aliquid suis ponderibus librare. INTR., suis ponderibus librari (after Cic., Tusc, 5, 24, 69): librare; pendere; pensare; ponderare; trutina examinare: to balance virtues and vices against each other, perpendere vitia virtutesque: to balance every word, unumquodque verbum statera examinare (Varr., Non., 455, 21; Cic., De Or., 2, 38, 159).
To balance an account, rationes consolidare (Cic.).
To balance or make equal, adaequare aliquid cum aliquo.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for balance?
- The usual Latin words for “balance” are trutina, lībra, statēra; also lanx, lībrāmentum, cōnsīderātiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.