fluctuation

[fluhk-choo-ey-shuhn]

noun

1. continual change from one point or condition to another.

2. wavelike motion; undulation.

3. Genetics.,  a body variation due to environmental factors and not inherited.

Other Word Forms

• nonfluctuation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fluctuation¹

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin fluctuātiōn- (stem of fluctuātiō ) a fluctuation, wavering. See fluctuate, -ion

Example Sentences

Silver, which typically tracks gold’s movements, has the potential for larger price swings as its smaller market size makes it more sensitive to fluctuations in the dollar.

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Lower- and middle-income households, who are more likely to live paycheck to paycheck, have been especially vulnerable to price fluctuations.

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Lower- and middle-income households, who are more likely to live paycheck to paycheck, have been especially vulnerable to price fluctuations.

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"We anticipated that the combined stresses of space, including vacuum, cosmic radiation, extreme temperature fluctuations, and microgravity, would cause far greater damage than any single stress alone," says Fujita.

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These findings suggest a possible link between hormone fluctuations and symptoms seen in certain neuropsychiatric disorders.

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Related Words

• variation 

When To Use

What does fluctuation mean?

Fluctuation is continual change.It’s a noun form of the verb fluctuate, meaning to continually change or shift back and forth.Fluctuation is most commonly used in the context of abstract or intangible things that frequently change, such as temperature, the stock market, or someone’s mood.Example: The fluctuation of the volume on my TV is really annoying—it gets louder during commercials and then it gets quiet again when the show comes back on.