pendulum

American  

[pen-juh-luhm, pen-duh-] / ˈpɛn dʒə ləm, ˈpɛn də- /

noun

pendulums plural

1. a body so suspended from a fixed point as to move to and fro by the action of gravity and acquired momentum.

2. Horology. a swinging lever, weighted at the lower end, for regulating the speed of a clock mechanism.

3. something that tends to move from one position, condition, etc., to the opposite extreme and then back again.

   In a democratic society, the pendulum of political thought swings left and right.

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pendulum British  

/ ˈpɛndjʊləm /

noun

1. a body mounted so that it can swing freely under the influence of gravity. It is either a bob hung on a light thread ( simple pendulum ) or a more complex structure ( compound pendulum )

2. such a device used to regulate a clockwork mechanism

3. something that changes its position, attitude, etc fairly regularly

   the pendulum of public opinion

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pendulum Scientific  

/ pĕn′jə-ləm /

1. A mass hung from a fixed support so that it is able to swing freely under the influence of gravity. Since the motion of pendulums is regular and periodic, they are often used to regulate the action of various devices, especially clocks.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pendulumlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pendulums
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pendulum

1650–60; < New Latin, noun use of neuter of Latin pendulus pendulous

Explanation

A pendulum is something hanging and swinging freely from a fixed point. A grandfather clock might use for timekeeping a pendulum that swings back and forth. Pendulum comes from the Latin word pendulous, meaning "hanging down." If someone hangs a pocket watch in front of you and swings it back and forth, saying, "You're getting very sleepy," they're mimicking the movement of a pendulum. We also use the word pendulum to describe a situation moving between two poles or across a spectrum, like the balance of power in a multiparty political system.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pendulum pendulums

The pendulum is bound to swing the other way, despite the Stones’s insistence that there is “no turning back.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

But the pendulum swung and we’re back to days of “Driving Miss Daisy” denial.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

In that sense, things are moving in Visa’s favor, he said, “but Mastercard is faster growing, and the pendulum could swing back.”

From MarketWatch ● May 25, 2026

But Monnier at Citi Wealth argues that the pendulum is swinging back a bit as families realize that doing their own due diligence on a company is a lot of work.

From Barron's ● May 23, 2026

Only a clock will do: indeed, only a pendulum clock, since earlier clocks were constantly in need of adjustment.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

This process resembles several pendulums gradually swinging together at the same frequency.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2025

Recognizing this new reality, Boric called on those who won the election Sunday to “not make the same mistake we did … in believing that pendulums are permanent.”

From Seattle Times ● May 8, 2023

Dr. King has been studying elephants’ fear of bees since 2006 and applied what she learned to create specialized wire fences upon which beehives hang like pendulums.

From New York Times ● Mar. 27, 2023

Using tarot, scrying, pendulums, runes and other forms of intuitive counseling, Amanda Yates Garcia, known as the Oracle of L.A., offers clarity through elemental divination sessions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2022

The room felt like a museum of random ordinary objects; the walls held glass cases boasting keys, pendulums, coins, oven mitts, ropes, even teakettles, and more.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

Related Words

• timer