Meanings
plural fluctuations
- countableuncountableA motion like that of waves; a moving in this and that direction; an irregular rising and falling.
the fluctuations of the sea
2 more examples
The rolling stock has been specially designed to meet the needs of the fluctuation of traffic in peak and off-peak periods.
1959 November 28, “Notes and News: St. Pancras-Bedford Diesel Trains”, in Railway Magazine, page 801The scientific instruments of the day recorded rapid fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field, as powerful electrical currents flowed through the upper atmosphere.
2023 November 15, Prof. Jim Wild, “This train was delayed because of bad weather in space”, in RAIL, number 996, page 30 - countableuncountableA wavering; unsteadiness.
fluctuations of prices
1 more example
fluctuations of opinion
- countableuncountableIn 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.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan instance of change; the rate or magnitude of change
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinfluctuatiōnem
- Englishfluctuation
Borrowed from Latin fluctuatiōnem, accusative singular of fluctuatiō, from fluctuō, from fluctus. Morphologically fluctuate + -ion.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic تَذَبذُب, تَقَلُّب
- تَذَبذُبwavering; unsteadiness
- تَقَلُّب (taqallub)wavering; unsteadiness
- تَأْرْجُح (taʔrjuḥ)wavelike motion
- تَقَلُّب (taqallub)wavelike motion
Bulgarian колебание, флуктуация
- колебание (kolebanie)wavering; unsteadiness
- флуктуация (fluktuacija)wavering; unsteadiness
Catalan fluctuació, fluctuació
- fluctuaciówavering; unsteadiness
- fluctuaciówavelike motion
Chinese Mandarin 變動 /变动, 波動 /波动
- 變動 /变动 (biàndòng)wavering; unsteadiness
- 波動 /波动 (bōdòng)wavelike motion
Czech fluktuace
- fluktuacewavering; unsteadiness
Danish fluktuation
- fluktuationwavering; unsteadiness
Dutch schommeling
- schommelingwavering; unsteadiness
Esperanto fluktuado, fluktuado
- fluktuadowavering; unsteadiness
- fluktuadowavelike motion
Finnish heilahtelu, huojunta
- heilahteluwavering; unsteadiness
- huojuntawavering; unsteadiness
- vaihteluwavering; unsteadiness
- heilahteluwavelike motion
- huojuntawavelike motion
French fluctuation, fluctuation
- fluctuationwavering; unsteadiness
- fluctuationwavelike motion
German Schwankung, Fluktuation
- Schwankungwavering; unsteadiness
- Fluktuationwavering; unsteadiness
- Schwankungwavelike motion
Hungarian ingadozás, fluktuáció
- ingadozáswavering; unsteadiness
- fluktuációwavering; unsteadiness
- fluktuáláswavering; unsteadiness
- hullámzáswavering; unsteadiness
- hullámzáswavelike motion
Irish luaineacht
- luaineachtwavering; unsteadiness
Japanese 増減, 変動
- 増減 (zōgen)wavering; unsteadiness
- 変動 (hendō)wavering; unsteadiness
- ばらつき (baratsuki)wavering; unsteadiness
- 波動 (hadō)wavelike motion
Polish fluktuacja, wahanie
- fluktuacjawavering; unsteadiness
- wahaniewavering; unsteadiness
- wahaniewavelike motion
- falowaniewavelike motion
Portuguese flutuação, flutuação
- flutuaçãowavering; unsteadiness
- flutuaçãowavelike motion
- ondulaçãowavelike motion
Russian колеба́ние, неусто́йчивость
- колеба́ние (kolebánije)wavering; unsteadiness
- неусто́йчивость (neustójčivostʹ)wavering; unsteadiness
- колеба́ние (kolebánije)wavelike motion
Spanish fluctuación, fluctuación
- fluctuaciónwavering; unsteadiness
- fluctuaciónwavelike motion
Turkish dalgalanma
- dalgalanmawavering; unsteadiness
Ukrainian колива́ння, флукту́ація
- колива́ння (kolyvánnja)wavering; unsteadiness
- флукту́ація (fluktúacija)wavering; unsteadiness
- колива́ння (kolyvánnja)wavelike motion
- флукту́ація (fluktúacija)wavelike motion
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with fluctuation
Cite this entry
fluctuation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fluctuation
“fluctuation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fluctuation. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fluctuation,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fluctuation.
Source: fluctuation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.