counterweight
noun
coun·ter·weight
ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌwāt 
: 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
Menin, an Upper East Side Democrat who’s seen as a centrist counterweight to Mayor Mamdani’s administration, is expected to make the appointments at a Council meeting Thursday where picks for all of the body’s other committee chairpersons will also be announced, the sources said.
—
Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
Tariffs raise prices, reduce consumer surplus, and protect domestic producers, with employment effects offered as a counterweight.
—Gerald Bradshaw, Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
But there is no counterweight to the regime that might help change the country’s direction.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Just next door to Venezuela lies Guyana, where Forbes Burnham rose to power during the Cold War with external backing that viewed him as a strategic counterweight rather than a democratic choice.
—Rick Singh, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Counterweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterweight. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
counterweight
noun
coun·ter·weight
ˈkau̇nt-ər-ˌwāt
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