turbulence

[ tur-byuh-luhns ]

/ ˈtɜr byə ləns /

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See synonyms for turbulence on Thesaurus.com

noun

the quality or state of being turbulent; violent disorder or commotion.

Hydraulics. the haphazard secondary motion caused by eddies within a moving fluid.

Meteorology. irregular motion of the atmosphere, as that indicated by gusts and lulls in the wind.

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Sometimes tur·bu·len·cy .

Origin of turbulence

From the Late Latin word turbulentia, dating back to 1590–1600. See turbulent, -ence

Words nearby turbulence

turbo-ramjet engine, turboshaft, turbosupercharger, turbot, turbotrain, turbulence, turbulent, turbulent flow, Turco-, Turcoman, Turcophile

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use turbulence in a sentence

As with many companies in the media sector, Taboola and Outbrain’s businesses suffered turbulence as the coronavirus took hold in March and advertisers reined in their spending in the initial months of the pandemic.
Why the Taboola-Outbrain deal fell apart and what it means for publishers|Lara O'Reilly|September 9, 2020|Digiday
Unlike every other instance of turbulence that has ever been observed on Earth, Irvine’s blob isn’t a messy patch in a flowing stream of liquid, gas or plasma, or up against a wall.
An Unexpected Twist Lights Up the Secrets of Turbulence|David H. Freedman|September 3, 2020|Quanta Magazine
The blob is a cloud of turbulence in a large water tank in the lab of the University of Chicago physicist William Irvine.
An Unexpected Twist Lights Up the Secrets of Turbulence|David H. Freedman|September 3, 2020|Quanta Magazine
Irvine and Matsuzawa tightly control the loops that are the blob’s building blocks and study the resulting confined turbulence up close and at length.
An Unexpected Twist Lights Up the Secrets of Turbulence|David H. Freedman|September 3, 2020|Quanta Magazine

He argued that central banks had gone from “volatility machines” to hyperactive suppressors of economic and financial turbulence.
Hedge Fund ‘Pirates’ Set Sail Again|Daniel Malloy|August 21, 2020|Ozy
Turbulence begins, and the only thing in the world we want is to not be on this damn plane.
The Malaysian Air Tragedy Reawakens a Primal Fear|Kelly Williams Brown|July 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Could his recent turbulence also explain why Efron spends most of his upcoming movie, Neighbors, with his body on display?
Zac Efron’s Eyes Are Up Here, Ladies|Tim Teeman|April 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No matter how they died, there is certainly turbulence ahead in North Korea—and the Chinese are running for cover.
North Korea's Monstrous Murder Methods|Gordon G. Chang|January 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Returning to the U.S., I was mired in ideological turbulence.
My Former Life As a Kahanist Posterboy|Zack Parker|June 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I saw two fold-out seats used by flight attendants during takeoff, landing and turbulence.
The National-Security Diaper Scramble|Philip Shishkin|April 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
From the depths of his mind came a warning, a restless unease that took root and blossomed into turbulence.
We're Friends, Now|Henry Hasse
The year 1846 closed over the Iberian peninsula in discord, turbulence, and woe.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III.|E. Farr and E. H. Nolan
Calumny, with its hundred tongues, exaggerated the turbulence of the people, and invented wild tales of violence.
The Loyalists of America and Their Times, Vol. 1 of 2|Egerton Ryerson
The easygoing paternal rule was to come to an end, and a long period of bloodshed and turbulence was to succeed.
Argentina|W. A. Hirst
To this desperate resolve he was driven by the increasing turbulence of Italian affairs.
A History of the Nineteenth Century, Year by Year|Edwin Emerson

British Dictionary definitions for turbulence

turbulence

rarely turbulency (ˈtɜːbjʊˌlənsɪ)

/ (ˈtɜːbjʊləns) /

noun

a state or condition of confusion, movement, or agitation; disorder

meteorol local instability in the atmosphere, oceans, or rivers

turbulent flow in a liquid or gas

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 turbulence

turbulence

[ tûr′byə-ləns ]

Chaotic or unstable eddying motion in a fluid. Avoiding excessive turbulence generated around moving objects (such as airplanes), which can make their motion inefficient and difficult to control, is a major factor in aerodynamic design.

turbulence

Origin of turbulence

Words nearby turbulence

Words related to turbulence

How to use turbulence in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for turbulence

rarely turbulency (ˈtɜːbjʊˌlənsɪ)

Scientific definitions for turbulence