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disequilibrium

disequilibrium

1 8.6
A lack of balance in a body or system that makes it unsteady
  • noun
  • /ˌdɪsɪˈkwɪlɪbrɪəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : desequilibrio
  • Furthermore, the economy may experience sectoral disequilibrium even in a state of macroequilibrium.
  • linkage disequilibrium
  • period of disequilibrium
  • state of disequilibrium

The material forces of his environments and disequilibrium precipitate both ruination, entropy, and rebirth.

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Examples

  • Once the status quo was disrupted, participants moved to the third stage in Satir's model: disequilibrium.

    Academic text (2015)
  • We will always be in some form of disequilibrium.

  • Placed off course like that, the disequilibrium made itself more pronounced in the following days.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Two developments are likely to disrupt this global disequilibrium in gas prices.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Chickering suggests that the catalyst for growth in students is the disequilibrium they experience in a new environment.

    Academic text (2014)
  • Developmental change is thought to be motivated by a process called disequilibrium (Piaget, 1928).

    Academic text (1995)
  • Instead, this approach assumes that current-account deficits are disequilibrium responses to policy errors, which market imperfections aggravate.

    Academic text (1990)
  • When tension exists between the external interpretation and the internal schema, disequilibrium and dissonance occur (Piaget, 1972).

    Academic text (2014)
  • During economic downturns, disequilibrium often leads to significant fluctuations in employment levels.

  • A lack of proper communication can create a disequilibrium within a team, affecting their overall productivity.

Synonyms

instability
vsdisequilibrium
114 5.1

A situation that changes easily and can fail, for example in politics

is a lack of balance where some forces outweigh others
imbalance
vsdisequilibrium
86 4.2

When different parts are not equal in amount or power

is specifically about systems where some forces or elements outweigh others
nonequilibrium
vsdisequilibrium
  • Specialized
7.9

A condition when a system is not balanced or steady, often in science

is a general loss of balance where some forces outweigh others
dissymmetry
vsdisequilibrium
9.2

A situation where two or more parts are not the same

focuses on imbalance caused by forces outweighing others in a system
unstableness
vsdisequilibrium
7.0

A state in which things are not firm or steady

is about imbalance where some forces or elements outweigh others

Antonyms

698 2.5

A situation where different things are in the right amount and are stable

35 6.8

A state of balance between opposite forces

How Balanced

equilibrium
35 6.8
stability
363 3.1
disequilibrium
  • Specialized
1 8.6
imbalance
86 4.2
instability
114 5.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

disequilibrium = equilibrium (transparent) = dis + equilibrium

For learners who know 'equilibrium', adding 'dis-' straightforwardly gives the meaning 'lack of equilibrium' or 'imbalance'.

Etymology

Disequilibrium is made from dis- meaning 'not' and equilibrium meaning 'equal balance', and it is related to the word equal. So disequilibrium literally means 'not equal balance', which is why we use it for a loss of balance in a person or in a system.