turbulence

American  

[tur-byuh-luhns] / ˈtɜr bjə ləns /

Sometimes turbulency

noun

• turbulences
  plural

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

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

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

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turbulence British  

/ ˈtɜːbjʊləns, ˈtɜːbjʊˌlənsɪ /

noun

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

2. meteorol local instability in the atmosphere, oceans, or rivers

3. turbulent flow in a liquid or gas

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turbulence Scientific  

/ tûr′byə-ləns /

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• turbulences
  plural

Etymology

Origin of turbulence

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

Explanation

Use the noun turbulence to describe instability or disturbance. If you’re on an airplane during a storm, turbulence is that horrible thing that is causing the plane (and your stomach) to bounce around. The word turbulence can be used to refer to atmospheric instability, such as sudden, unpredictable air movements resulting from a storm, but the word has a broader meaning as well and you will often hear it used to describe any situation characterized by unrest and disorder. If your stocks are fluctuating wildly in price, that could be a result of turbulence in the stock market. If last year was filled with unpredictable change, you could describe it as a year of great turbulence.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

turbulence turbulences

The turbulence hit over Myanmar, with the flight then diverted to Bangkok, in Thailand, for an emergency landing.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Lorenz is the mission’s architect, responsible for figuring out the atmosphere’s turbulence, the hardness of the rocks for a sampling drill, and how much light will be available to allow Dragonfly’s sensors to navigate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

Beijing is attempting to simultaneously manage deep-set issues in the property sector while minimising turbulence for the domestic economy.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

Attention will turn to results from large U.S. retailers this week, which will indicate the impact of recent turbulence on U.S. consumer sentiment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

The Chicago Tribune reported that increasing turbulence in global markets had raised concerns in London that a recession, even a full-blown “panic,” could be in the offing.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

“The current turbulences and twists and turns are the ones that we do not wish to see,” Li said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025

"But now we see little turbulences - meaning, an improvement - compared to what we saw in the first few months," he said.

From Reuters ● Aug. 10, 2023

Companies with operations outside the United States also face headwinds from a stronger dollar in the wake of steep interest rate hikes and geopolitical turbulences.

From Reuters ● Nov. 4, 2022

In most of these turbulences, the presence of superior force was decisive.

From Time Magazine Archive

Then, there were those caravans which came during turbulences in the null and which seemed worthwhile to the now practiced eyes of Kio Barra.

From The Weakling by H. R. van Dongen

Related Words

• conflict
• confusion
• disturbance
• instability
• tumult
• turmoil
• unrest