oscillation

American  

[os-uh-ley-shuhn] / ˌɒs əˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance of oscillating.

2. a single swing or movement in one direction of an oscillating body.

3. fluctuation between beliefs, opinions, conditions, etc.

4. Physics.

   1. an effect expressible as a quantity that repeatedly and regularly fluctuates above and below some mean value, as the pressure of a sound wave or the voltage of an alternating current.

   2. a single fluctuation between maximum and minimum values in such an effect.

5. Mathematics.

   1. the difference between the least upper bound and the greatest lower bound of the functional values of a function in a given interval.

   2. Also called saltus.  the limit of the oscillation in an interval containing a given point, as the length of the interval approaches zero.

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oscillation British  

/ ˈɒsɪlətərɪ, ˌɒsɪˈleɪʃən, -trɪ /

noun

1. physics statistics

   1. regular fluctuation in value, position, or state about a mean value, such as the variation in an alternating current or the regular swinging of a pendulum

   2. a single cycle of such a fluctuation

2. the act or process of oscillating

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oscillation Scientific  

/ ŏs′ə-lā′shən /

1. A repeating fluctuation in a physical object or quantity.

2. See also attractor harmonic motion

3. A single cycle of such fluctuation.

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Other Word Forms

• oscillatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of oscillation

1650–60; < Latin oscillātiōn- (stem of oscillātiō ) a swinging, equivalent to oscillāt ( us ) ( oscillate ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

The explanation traces back to work by the French mathematician Gaston Floquet, who showed in the 19th century that systems exposed to periodic forces can develop entirely new oscillation states.

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026

As they move through space, they can switch from one flavor to another in a process called oscillation.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

These particles can transform from one type to another through a phenomenon known as oscillation.

From Science Daily • Dec. 18, 2025

"We have thus confirmed the hypothesis that efficient gaits can be realized by exploiting natural oscillation patterns," explains Prof.

From Science Daily • Nov. 18, 2024

Speech patterning and characteristics appeared to be feminine in terms of oscillation of pitch and direct eye contact.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• vibration