Milankovitch cycle

noun

Any of the three cyclic variations in the Earth's orbit around the Sun, respectively the obliquity of its axis, the precession of the equinoxes, and the eccentricity of its orbit.

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Meanings

nounMilankovitch cycle (plural Milankovitch cycles)

plural Milankovitch cycles

  1. climatologyAny of the three cyclic variations in the Earth's orbit around the Sun, respectively the obliquity of its axis, the precession of the equinoxes, and the eccentricity of its orbit.

    The Milankovitch cycles alone are not enough to explain cycles of ice ages.

    2003, Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything, BCA, published 2003, page 378

Origin

Named after the Serbian geophysicist Milutin Milanković (1879-1958).

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Translations

Arabic ْدَوْرَاتُ مِيلَانْكُوفِيتْش
  • ْدَوْرَاتُ مِيلَانْكُوفِيتْش (dawrātu mīlānkūfītš)Translations
Chinese Mandarin 米蘭科維奇循環 /米兰科维奇循环
  • 米蘭科維奇循環 /米兰科维奇循环Translations
German Milanković-Zyklen
  • Milanković-ZyklenTranslations
Japanese ミランコビッチ・サイクル
  • ミランコビッチ・サイクルTranslations
Norwegian Bokmål Milanković-syklusene
  • Milanković-sykluseneTranslations
Persian چرخههای میلانکوویچ
  • چرخههای میلانکوویچTranslations
Swedish Milanković-cykler
  • Milanković-cyklerTranslations
Turkish Milankoviç döngüsü
  • Milankoviç döngüsüTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

Milankovitch cycle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Milankovitch%20cycle

MLA

“Milankovitch cycle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Milankovitch%20cycle. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Milankovitch cycle,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Milankovitch%20cycle.

Source: Milankovitch cycle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.