equipoise

/ˈɛkwɪpɔɪz/

//ˈɛkwɪpɔɪz// noun

"equipoise" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“equipoise” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A state of balance; equilibrium.

Corpus desk

Index EN-equipoise · equipoise · English

equipoise · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "E" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for equipoise
PropertyValue
Headwordequipoise
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɛkwɪpɔɪz/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “equipoise” in English

equipoiseranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

equipoise is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɛkwɪpɔɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for equipoise in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From equi- + poise. The correct English form is equipoise, spelled E-Q-U-I-P-O-I-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A state of balance; equilibrium.
  2. 2
    A counterbalance.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how equipoise appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Government was unnerved, confounded, and in a manner suspended. Its equipoise was totally gone.
  2. “An easy evasion”, retorted the excited bride, who had lost her mental equipoise.

Etymology

From equi- + poise.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "equipoise"?
"equipoise" is spelled E-Q-U-I-P-O-I-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛkwɪpɔɪz/.
What does "equipoise" mean?
As a noun, "equipoise" means: A state of balance; equilibrium.
How do you pronounce "equipoise"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "equipoise" is /ˈɛkwɪpɔɪz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "equipoise"?
From equi- + poise. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list