pendulum

[ pen-juh-luhm, pen-duh- ]

/ ˈpɛn dʒə ləm, ˈpɛn də- /

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See synonyms for pendulum on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

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

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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Origin of pendulum

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

OTHER WORDS FROM pendulum

pen·du·lum·like, adjective

Words nearby pendulum

pendu, pendular, pendular nystagmus, pendule, pendulous, pendulum, pendulum effect, pendulum watch, pene-, penecontemporaneous, Peneios

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use pendulum in a sentence

Over the decades, the pendulum has swung back and forth between more decentralized and more coordinated models of the economy, each time expecting a different result.
Why do attempts at reforming capitalism fail?|jakemeth|October 10, 2020|Fortune
Elections have swung back and forth in an almost predictable pendulum fashion since 1992 — unified control of one party, divided government, unified control of the other party, and so forth, over and over.
How Hatred Came To Dominate American Politics|Lee Drutman (drutman@newamerica.org)|October 5, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
In the past four months, talk of reform and proposed structural changes to combat racism at agencies has started to shift the pendulum — but more action is required.
‘It’s all been plan, plan, plan mode:’ Agencies have big ideas for greater diversity, but more action is needed|Seb Joseph|September 15, 2020|Digiday
Snails with coiled or elongated shells tended to swim straight up, and to sink straight down whenever they stopped flapping, their shells hanging like pendulums beneath their wings.
Sea butterflies’ shells determine how the snails swim|Maria Temming|September 8, 2020|Science News

As the pendulum swings away from data-heavy, third-party based audience targeting, publishers are using contextual data tools in smarter ways and gaining more control over their contextual ad revenues.
‘Supercharging contextual’: Publishers eye potential for contextual ad revenue growth|Lucinda Southern|September 3, 2020|Digiday
But gerrymandering has cold cocked the pendulum weight, stopped it dead.
Up to a Point: In Defense of Lobbyists|P. J. O’Rourke|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The pendulum swing between moods and tone, however, became a staple of the shoot.
How Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig Pulled Off Their Most Dramatic Roles Yet|Kevin Fallon|September 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I think the pendulum has swung back on that because of books like The Blood Telegram.
The Real Legacy of Richard Nixon|Scott Porch|August 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The pendulum has swung too far in the other direction from physician paternalism towards willful ignorance by patients.
Why Smart People Are Dumb Patients|Jean Kim|July 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Shaked spoke in these generalities initially—referring to two sets of people, two polar opposites on a pendulum.
Knesset Member Walks Back On Facebook Post Calling Palestinian Kids ‘Little Snakes’|Gideon Resnick|July 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By what word is the relation between “pendulum” and “a smile and tear” described?
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
The sword clattered from his hand and rolled, with a pendulum-like movement, to the feet of Garnache.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
To swing a pendulum, picked out from a number of them at random, without touching it is a very puzzling trick.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
Another pendulum may be pointed out and he will start that one apparently by looking at it, while the other one stops.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
With a little practice anyone can become a skilled medium in pendulum swinging.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for pendulum

pendulum

/ (ˈpɛndjʊləm) /

noun

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)

such a device used to regulate a clockwork mechanism

something that changes its position, attitude, etc fairly regularlythe pendulum of public opinion

Word Origin for pendulum

C17: from Latin pendulus pendulous

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

Scientific definitions for pendulum

pendulum

[ pĕn′jə-ləm ]

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.

pendulum

Origin of pendulum

OTHER WORDS FROM pendulum

Words nearby pendulum

Words related to pendulum

How to use pendulum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pendulum

Word Origin for pendulum

Scientific definitions for pendulum