precarious balance
collocation in Englishmeaningsofprecariousandbalance
These words are often used together. Click on the links below to explore the meanings. Or,see other collocations withbalance.
precarious
adjective
uk/prɪˈkeə.ri.əs/us/prɪˈker.i.əs/
in a dangerous state because of not being safe or not being held in ...
See more atprecarious
balance
noun
uk/ˈbæl.əns/us/ˈbæl.əns/
a state where things are of equal weight ...
See more atbalance
(Definition ofprecariousandbalancefrom theCambridge English Dictionary© Cambridge University Press)
Examplesofprecarious balance
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
This extra freedom upsets theprecariousbalancethat can exist in two dimensions.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Thisprecariousbalanceis maintained for a large range of environmental conditions.
From theCambridge English Corpus
In lyric breakout, the potential extraordinariness becomes actual, and the constituent words hang there, strung out inprecariousbalanceor disintegrating in lexical and syntactic fission.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Theprecariousbalanceof trade is a little more in evidence—a little less precarious perhaps.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
In 1950, on the year's trading there was a small andprecariousbalance, but a balance.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It is on this veryprecariousbalancethat peace—or the absence of another war—rests.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
We are attempting to maintain theprecariousbalancebetween introducing a new criminal law and police powers.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
There is aprecariousbalancebetween conservation and exploitation.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It would be quite wrong to accept theprecariousbalancewhich now exists and which might lead to the conviction of more innocent people.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
I feel that it is our role as politicians to guard theprecariousbalanceof power between conflicting interests and to ensure the peace.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
There is aprecariousbalancebetween liberty and authority.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
We now import the very product that the works produced, with evil effects on ourprecariousbalanceof payments.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
I also believe that it is aprecariousbalance.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
He claimed merit for his cleverness in arriving at that narrow,precariousbalance, and for keeping it steady.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
We shall have to exercise unceasing vigilance so that theprecariousbalanceis not upset.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It has been kept inprecariousbalanceby invisible exports.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It is important that no one should do anything to upset theprecariousbalancewhich has been achieved.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
The result is that even a very small increase in food prices will completely upset theprecariousbalancein the budget of such a household.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Does prosperity mean aprecariousbalanceon the edge of want and social disruption?
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
The lesser powers survive in thisprecariousbalanceeither through alliances with either side or in the more complex position of non-alignment.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
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Go to the definition ofprecarious
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See other collocations withbalance