fluctuation
noun/flʌkt͡ʃuːˈeɪʃən/
Etymology Borrowed from Latin fluctuatiōnem, accusative singular of fluctuatiō, from fluctuō, from fluctus. Morphologically fluctuate + -ion.
1
A motion like that of waves; a moving in this and that direction; an irregular rising and falling.
- the fluctuations of the sea
- The rolling stock has been specially designed to meet the needs of the fluctuation of traffic in peak and off-peak periods.1959 November 23, “Notes and News: St. Pancras-Bedford Diesel Trains”, in Railway Magazine, page 801:
1 more example
- The scientific instruments of the day recorded rapid fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field, as powerful electrical currents flowed through the upper atmosphere.2023 November 15, Prof. Jim Wild, “This train was delayed because of bad weather in space”, in RAIL, number 996, page 30:
2
A wavering; unsteadiness.
- fluctuations of opinion
- fluctuations of prices
3
In medicine, a wave-like motion or undulation of a fluid in a natural or abnormal cavity (e.g. pus in an abscess), which is felt during palpation or percussion.
- Derived terms
- cofluctuation, fluctuational, fluctuation theorem, microfluctuation, quantum fluctuation, refluctuation
- Related terms
- fluctuate