fluctuation

[ fluhk-choo-ey-shuh n ]

/ ˌflʌk tʃuˈeɪ ʃən /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR fluctuation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

continual change from one point or condition to another.

wavelike motion; undulation.

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

Nearby words

flu, flub, flubdub, fluctuant, fluctuate, fluctuation, flucytosine, fludrocortisone acetate, flue, flue gas, flue pipe

Origin of fluctuation

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

Related forms

non·fluc·tu·a·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for fluctuation

Side effects may include recession, job contraction, 401(k) bruising, recurrent Dow fluctuation, and IRA bleeding.
Up to a Point: PJ O’Rourke on Sochi and Senate Slackers|P. J. O’Rourke|February 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His face, under the influence of this fluctuation of color, changed exceedingly, and improved in proportion as it changed.
Stories by American Authors, Volume 8|Various
If a dilated stomach contains considerable fluid and the abdominal walls are yielding, fluctuation may be perceived by palpation.
A System of Practical Medicine By American Authors, Vol. II|Various
Such little incidents show us how taverns frequently denote the fluctuation of popular opinion.
Old Boston Taverns and Tavern Clubs|Samuel Adams Drake

Interest upon capital must be charged, and risk of fluctuation in the value of that which is to be received in payment added.
A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents: Ulysses S. Grant|James D. Richardson
This fluctuation is of more importance over short periods than in the long run.
A Revision of the Treaty|John Maynard Keynes

British Dictionary definitions for fluctuation

fluctuation

/ (ˌflʌktjʊˈeɪʃən) /

noun

constant change; vacillation; instability

undulation

a variation in an animal or plant that is determined by environment rather than heredity

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012