rotation

American  

[roh-tey-shuhn] / roʊˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

rotations plural

1. the act of rotating; a turning around as on an axis.

2. Astronomy.

   1. the movement or path of the earth or a heavenly body turning on its axis.

   2. one complete turn of such a body.

3. regularly recurring succession, as of officials.

4. Agriculture. crop rotation.

5. Mathematics.

   1. an operation that rotates a geometric figure about a fixed point.

   2. curl.

6. Pool. a game in which the balls are played in order by number.

7. Baseball. pitching rotation.

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rotation British  

/ rəʊˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of rotating; rotary motion

2. a regular cycle of events in a set order or sequence

3. a planned sequence of cropping according to which the crops grown in successive seasons on the same land are varied so as to make a balanced demand on its resources of fertility

4. maths

   1. a circular motion of a configuration about a given point or line, without a change in shape

   2. a transformation in which the coordinate axes are rotated by a fixed angle about the origin

   3. Abbreviation (for sense 4c): rot.  another name for curl

5. 1. the spinning motion of a body, such as a planet, about an internal axis Compare revolution

   2. one complete turn in such motion

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rotation Scientific  

/ rō-tā′shən /

1. The motion of an object around an internal axis.

2. A single complete cycle of such motion.

3. See Note at revolution

4. A transformation of a coordinate system in which the new axes have a specified angular displacement from their original position while the origin remains fixed.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonrotation
  noun
• nonrotational
  adjective
• rotational
  adjective
• unrotational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• rotations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rotation

1545–55; < Latin rotātiōn- (stem of rotātiō ) a rotation, rolling, equivalent to rotāt ( us ) ( see rotate ¹) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

When something turns like a wheel, over and over again, it's in rotation. You can't feel the earth's rotation even though you know it's happening. Even if you find the rotation of clothes in the dryer comforting, it's best to remain on the outside looking in. Rotation can also mean a series that repeats. A baseball team has a "pitching rotation" (five pitchers who take turns starting games), while a song that's on the radio every fifteen minutes is on "heavy rotation."

Example Sentences

That focus will likely prove key if the current rotation deepens over the summer months as bond yields rise and inflation pressure percolate.

From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026

Some said that despite the recent rotation from tech to the blue-chips, along with sectors including healthcare and industrials, the rally remains heavily concentrated in a handful of chip giants.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026

It also prohibits the use of “sell by” dates on food packaging, but it does allow coded “sell by” dates that retain stock rotation information for retailers.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026

Hendi Susanto, a portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds, said the recent pullback is being driven by a mix of rotation into other sectors, profit taking in recent winners and concerns over high valuations.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 26, 2026

That would have made us appear weak and unprepared, and might even get us pulled from the rotation.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

Related Words

• orbit