Levelizing

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. Making a surface, rate, or condition flat, even, or equal across its whole extent
2. Bringing differences in height, value, or standing down to a uniform and consistent state
3. Adjusting something so that it becomes even or equal throughout, removing unevenness

Etymology: "Levelizing" is the present participle of "levelize," a verb built by attaching the suffix "-ize" to "level." The base word "level" goes back to Old French "livel," a tool for checking whether a surface is horizontal, which itself came from Latin "libella," a diminutive of "libra," meaning balance or scale. So the idea of flatness and balance sits at the heart of the family. The suffix "-ize" comes from Greek "-izein," used to form verbs meaning to make or to cause to become something. Attaching it to "level" gives the sense of making things even or equal, whether a surface, a field, or a set of conditions. That makes "levelize" a straightforward, transparent formation, with the meaning following directly from its parts.

Synonyms: level, equalize, flatten