Meanings
plural perturbations
- uncountableAgitation; the state of being perturbed.
Reſtore your ſelues, vnto your temper, Fathers; / And, vvithout perturbation, heare me ſpeake: […]
1611, Ben[jamin] Jonson, Catiline His Conspiracy, London: […] [William Stansby?] for Walter Burre, →OCLC, Act IIII1 more example
But her mind had never been in such perturbation; and it needed a very strong effort to appear attentive and cheerful till the usual hour of separating allowed her the relief of quiet reflection.
1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter V, in Emma: […], volume I, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC - countableA small change in a physical system, or more broadly any definable system (such as a biological or economic system).
Natures that haue much Heat, and great and violent deſires and Perturbations, are not ripe for Action, till they haue paſſed the Meridian of their yeares: As it was with Iulius Cæſar, and Septimius Seuerus.
1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Youth and Age. XLII.”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC, pages 247–248
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinperturbatio
- Old Frenchperturbacion
- Middle Frenchperturbation
- Englishperturbation
Borrowed from Middle French perturbation, from Old French perturbacion, from Latin perturbatio.
More words from Middle French, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian смущение
- смущение (smuštenie)agitation
Catalan pertorbació
- pertorbacióagitation
Esperanto perturbo
- perturboa small change in a physical system or any definable system
Finnish häiriö, poikkeuma
- häiriöagitation
- poikkeumaa small change in a physical system or any definable system
- poikkeutusa small change in a physical system or any definable system
- häiriöa small change in a physical system or any definable system
- poikkeumavariation in an orbit
- poikkeutusvariation in an orbit
French perturbation
- perturbationagitation
German Störung
- Störungagitation
Hungarian zavar, perturbáció
- zavaragitation
- perturbációa small change in a physical system or any definable system
- perturbációvariation in an orbit
Irish corraí
- corraíagitation
Italian perturbazione, perturbazione
- perturbazioneagitation
- perturbazionea small change in a physical system or any definable system
- perturbazionevariation in an orbit
Japanese 摂動
- 摂動 (setsudō)variation in an orbit
Polish perturbacja, perturbacja
- perturbacjaagitation
- perturbacjaa small change in a physical system or any definable system
- perturbacjavariation in an orbit
Portuguese perturbação
- perturbaçãoagitation
Russian смяте́ние, пертурба́ция
- смяте́ние (smjaténije)agitation
- пертурба́ция (perturbácija)a small change in a physical system or any definable system
- пертурба́ция (perturbácija)variation in an orbit
- возмуще́ние (vozmuščénije)variation in an orbit
Spanish perturbación, perturbación
- perturbaciónagitation
- perturbacióna small change in a physical system or any definable system
- perturbaciónvariation in an orbit
Swedish bestörtning
- bestörtningagitation
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with perturbation
Cite this entry
perturbation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perturbation
“perturbation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perturbation. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “perturbation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/perturbation.
Source: perturbation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.