balance vs equilibrium

balance and equilibrium both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
balance	Yes	No	Yes	No
equilibrium	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, balance and equilibrium are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of balance include counterbalance, equipoise.

As nouns, equilibrium is a hypernym of balance; that is, equilibrium is a word with a broader meaning than balance:

balance (noun)	equilibrium (noun)
a scale for weighing; depends on pull of gravity	a sensory system located in structures of the inner ear that registers the orientation of the head
a weight that balances another weight	a chemical reaction and its reverse proceed at equal rates
a wheel that regulates the rate of movement in a machine; especially a wheel oscillating against the hairspring of a timepiece to regulate its beat	equality of distribution
harmonious arrangement or relation of parts or elements within a whole (as in a design)	a stable situation in which forces cancel one another
(mathematics) an attribute of a shape or relation; exact reflection of form on opposite sides of a dividing line or plane
equality between the totals of the credit and debit sides of an account
the difference between the totals of the credit and debit sides of an account
something left after other parts have been taken away
equality of distribution
a state of equilibrium

balance (verb)	equilibrium (verb)
hold or carry in equilibrium
compute credits and debits of an account
bring into balance or equilibrium
be in equilibrium