noun
or le chatelier's principle ləˈshäd. ə lˌyāz-
Usage: usually capitalized 1st L&C
Etymology: after Henry-Louis Le Châtelier
: a statement in physics and chemistry: if the equilibrium of a system is disturbed by a change in one or more of the determining factors (as temperature, pressure, or concentration) the system tends to adjust itself to a new equilibrium by counteracting as far as possible the effect of the change