fluctuation

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin fluctuatiōnem, accusative singular of fluctuatiō, from fluctuō, from fluctus. Morphologically fluctuate + -ion

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /flʌkt͡ʃuːˈeɪʃən/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

fluctuation (countable and uncountable, plural fluctuations)

  1. A motion like that of waves; a moving in this and that direction; an irregular rising and falling.
    the fluctuations of the sea
    • 2023 November 15, Prof. Jim Wild, “This train was delayed because of bad weather in space”, in RAIL, number 996, page 30:
      The scientific instruments of the day recorded rapid fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field, as powerful electrical currents flowed through the upper atmosphere.
  2. A wavering; unsteadiness.
    fluctuations of opinion
    fluctuations of prices
  3. In medicine, a wave-like motion or undulation of a fluid in a natural or abnormal cavity (e.g. pus in an abscess), which is felt during palpation or percussion.

Derived terms

Translations

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin flūctuātiōnem.

Pronunciation

  • (file)

Noun

fluctuation f (plural fluctuations)

  1. fluctuation

Further reading

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