rotate
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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rotates,
present (3rd person singular)
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rotated,
past participle, past
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rotating
present participle
-
to cause to turn around an axis or center point; revolve.
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to cause to go through a cycle of changes; cause to pass or follow in a fixed routine of succession.
to rotate farm crops.
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to replace (a person, troops, etc.) by another or others, usually according to a schedule or plan.
verb (used without object)
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rotates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
rotated,
past participle, past
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rotating
present participle
-
to turn around on or as if on an axis.
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to proceed in a fixed routine of succession.
The sentries rotated in keeping watch.
adjective
verb
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to turn or cause to turn around an axis, line, or point; revolve or spin
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to follow or cause to follow a set order or sequence
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(of a position, presidency, etc) to pass in turn from one eligible party to each of the other eligible parties
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(of staff) to replace or be replaced in turn
adjective
Synonym Usage
See turn.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonrotatableadjective
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nonrotatingadjective
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rotatableadjective
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unrotatedadjective
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unrotatingadjective
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rotatablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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rotatesimple
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rotatessimple
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have rotatedperfect
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has rotatedperfect
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am rotatingprogressive
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are rotatingprogressive
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is rotatingprogressive
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have been rotatingperfect progressive
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has been rotatingperfect progressive
Past
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rotatedsimple
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had rotatedperfect
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was rotatingprogressive
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were rotatingprogressive
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had been rotatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rotate1
First recorded in 1800–10; from Latin rotātus (past participle of rotāre “to cause to spin, roll, move in a circle”), equivalent to rot(a) “wheel” + -ātus -ate 1
Origin of rotate2
1775–85; < Latin rot ( a ) wheel + -ate 1
Explanation
Rotate means to circle around a center point. Wheels on a car rotate, planets rotate, and if you're an ice skater, you rotate on the blade of a skate when you do your spins. Rotate can also mean that you take turns performing a job. If you, Jim, and Shelia all got the same amount of votes in the class election, you could rotate the role of treasurer, meaning the position would pass from one to another in a regular pattern. Rotate can also refer to other things that are passed along in a regular order. You might rotate lawn duties with your brother — that means you mow the lawn one week and he mows it the next.
Vocabulary lists containing rotate
Space Science (Astronomy) - Introductory
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Earth and the Solar System - Introductory
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Fish in a Tree
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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:
It is tradition that the UN's top job should rotate between different regions.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
Both Andres Santos and Youri Tielemans resemble Kobbie Mainoo in being technical midfielders that thrive in small spaces, able to rotate and connect well under pressure.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Hartnett advised investors to trim exposure to risk assets and rotate into defensive or interest-rate-sensitive holdings, including consumer staples, real-estate investment trusts, and small-cap and biotech stocks, as well as the U.S. dollar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
As parts of the Sun rotate at different speeds, they twist the emerging magnetic field and build up energy.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
We rotate in circles so that everyone has two and a half seconds to say their names.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
The orbiter circles the Moon from pole to pole once every two hours as the Moon slowly rotates beneath it.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
The LRO, in service since 2009, circles the Moon from pole to pole every two hours while the Moon rotates underneath it.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
SGX’s derivatives platform is deepening as a regional risk management venue as macroeconomic risks increase and capital rotates to Asia, the analyst says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
When the market rotates, everything you own falls at once.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Mrs. Janssen rotates two of the jars, so I can see them right side up.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
—Asian stocks were mostly higher as investors rotated back into artificial-intelligence names, though gains were capped by unease over the Middle East.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Boss Didier Deschamps stuck with Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembele on the right and rotated Barcola and Doue, with both men starting four of France's eight World Cup matches, but never in the same game.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
It also briefly emerged last fall, as investors rotated away from tech and into stocks that had been lagging behind.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Researchers have developed a way to make twisted oxide materials over much larger areas while maintaining precise control over how their layers are rotated.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026
It was a broomstick with an upside-down protractor attached on one end and a wooden straightedge on the opposing side that rotated around a nail.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
To reproduce the fading flares astronomers actually observe, the researchers needed what Bandopadhyay called "a new ingredient": a star that was already rotating rapidly before its first encounter with the black hole.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
The Treasury Department’s decision helped weaken the impact of high bond yields on gold and other non-yielding assets, “which might explain capital rotating back toward those assets.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Many households on the Caribbean island have been split into two groups - with each having their water supply shut off for 48 hours on a rotating basis.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Basically, investors have continued rotating among different sectors and styles instead of exiting stocks altogether.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
“In addition to being quite social, however, you appear to be a gifted artist. Your portraits are”—she paused, rotating the drawing—“captivating. They show a depth of emotion well beyond your years.”
From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys
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.
