fluctuation
Americannoun
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fluctuations
plural
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continual change from one point or condition to another.
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wavelike motion; undulation.
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Genetics. a body variation due to environmental factors and not inherited.
noun
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constant change; vacillation; instability
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undulation
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a variation in an animal or plant that is determined by environment rather than heredity
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of fluctuation
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin fluctuātiōn- (stem of fluctuātiō ) a fluctuation, wavering. See fluctuate, -ion
Explanation
The noun fluctuation refers to the deviations along the path from one point to another. We see frequent fluctuations in the stock market, as prices go up or down, and also in the weather, which is always changing. The original form of the word fluctuation appeared as a mid-15th-century French word derived from the Latin fluctuationem, meaning "vacillation." The verb stem fluctuāre meant "to undulate," referring to waves, giving rise to the idea of change and movement that is at the heart of the word. It might help to remember that fluctuation has the same root as the word fluent, and to think of it as something flowing, with frequent change along the way.
Vocabulary lists containing fluctuation
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Content Summary 4.2: Columbian Exchange and Atlantic Slavery
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Eyes Wide Open
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
They do not predict every short-term fluctuation perfectly, but they help scientists evaluate long-term climate patterns and possible future changes.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
It may be too early to say whether this is a structural change or just the sort of cyclical fluctuation we sometimes see in manufacturing.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
Benjamin Boisson, a fruit grower in southern France, said worried the extreme fluctuation in temperature would cause a sharp drop in production, as well as complicate storage.
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
Meanwhile, Umansky notes that the housing market has seen an increase in activity since the start of 2026, pointing to the beginning of spring as peak homebuying season and the fluctuation in interest rates.
From MarketWatch ● May 22, 2026
The slightest fluctuation in the weather outside my window, the smallest passing cloud, the changing position of the sun affected the mood of that room.
From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos
The Bank of Japan intervenes in the market under the instruction of the ministry to ease economic damage from sharp fluctuations in exchange rates.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
Closure of the strait has caused wild fluctuations in the price of oil on world markets.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
“It has had a very successful run, a high rate of growth, it’s not as subject to the fluctuations of the business cycle as maybe other things are.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
It also needs to have the sourcing capabilities to meet fluctuations in shoppers’ tastes.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
It may be that our universe is simply one of many fluctuations.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
