equilibrar
verbCEFR B2
What does “equilibrar” mean in English?
to balance, to equalise
to balance, to equalise (equilibrar A con B — bring competing forces into balance)
Example sentences
El desafío de cualquier gobierno democrático es equilibrar la eficiencia económica con la justicia social.
The challenge for any democratic government is to balance economic efficiency with social justice.
El presupuesto está diseñado para equilibrar los ingresos y los gastos a lo largo de un ciclo de tres años.
The budget is designed to balance revenues and expenditure over a three-year cycle.
Muchos profesionales tienen dificultades para equilibrar las exigencias del trabajo con las responsabilidades familiares.
Many professionals struggle to balance the demands of work with family responsibilities.
How to use it
Equilibrar means 'to balance' in the sense of achieving or maintaining a balance between competing demands or forces. The reflexive equilibrarse means 'to balance out' or 'to even out'. At B2, equilibrar is especially common in policy, economic, and personal-development discourse: equilibrar los intereses de distintos grupos (balance the interests of different groups), equilibrar la vida personal y profesional. Don't confuse with balancear (more physical swaying/swinging motion) or compensar (to offset/compensate for a deficit).
Common mistake
Equilibrar (to bring into balance) vs. mantenerse en equilibrio (to stay in balance, often physical). In abstract/policy contexts, equilibrar is the verb of choice. Don't confuse with el equilibrio (noun: balance, equilibrium) — the noun is very high-frequency at B2 in its own right: mantener el equilibrio, buscar el equilibrio. Also: 'work-life balance' in Spanish is often expressed as conciliación laboral y familiar rather than a direct translation.