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vicissitude

[ vi-sis-i-tood, -tyood ]
/ vɪˈsɪs ɪˌtud, -ˌtyud /
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See synonyms for: vicissitude / vicissitudes on Thesaurus.com
noun
a change or variation occurring in the course of something.
interchange or alternation, as of states or things.
vicissitudes, successive, alternating, or changing phases or conditions, as of life or fortune; ups and downs: They remained friends through the vicissitudes of 40 years.
regular change or succession of one state or thing to another.
change; mutation; mutability.
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Origin of vicissitude

First recorded in 1560–70; from Middle French, from Latin vicissitūdō, equivalent to viciss(im) “in turn” (perhaps by syncope, from unrecorded vice-cessim; vice “in the place of” + cessim “giving way,“ adverbial derivative of cēdere “to go, proceed”) + -i- -i- + -tūdō -tude;see also vice3

OTHER WORDS FROM vicissitude

vi·cis·si·tu·di·nous, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to vicissitude

fluctuation, permutation, about-face, alteration, alternation, diversity, flip-flop, innovation, mutability, mutation, novelty, progression, reversal, revolution, shift, sport, switch, transposition, turnaround, uncertainty

How to use vicissitude in a sentence

  • Mr. Lumley revived Nino (Nabucco) towards the close of his memorable and vicissitudinous management.

    Verdi: Man and Musician|Frederick James Crowest

  • Marriage, the earthly way, is vicissitudinous, for everybody knows that anything is liable to happen to a man at large.

    Humorous Ghost Stories|Dorothy Scarborough

British Dictionary definitions for vicissitude

vicissitude
/ (vɪˈsɪsɪˌtjuːd) /
noun
variation or mutability in nature or life, esp successive alternation from one condition or thing to another
a variation in circumstance, fortune, character, etc

Derived forms of vicissitude

vicissitudinary or vicissitudinous, adjective

Word Origin for vicissitude

C16: from Latin vicissitūdō, from vicis change, alternation
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
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