fluctuation

American  

[fluhk-choo-ey-shuhn] / ˌflʌk tʃuˈeɪ ʃən /

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.

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• nonfluctuation noun

Etymology

Origin of fluctuation

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

Example Sentences

"The topological effect is strongest precisely where the material exhibits the largest fluctuations. When these fluctuations are suppressed by pressure or magnetic fields, the topological properties disappear."

From Science Daily

Putting aside rate fluctuations in early January, “I expect mortgage rates to be fairly steady in 2026, especially relative to recent years,” Realtor.com’s Hale said.

From MarketWatch

Merchants in Tehran's Grand Bazaar were among the first groups to openly protest, closing their shops in response to daily currency fluctuations and taking to the streets to demand government intervention to stabilise the markets.

From BBC

Someone with $25 million, or $1 billion, has no particular reason to worry unduly about daily fluctuations in the stock market, or to panic.

From MarketWatch

"Temperature fluctuations might promote better adaptation to both cold and warm seasons," Petak explains.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• variation