fluctuation
noun
fluc·tu·a·tion
ˌflək-chə-ˈwā-shən 
-chü-ˈā-
plural fluctuations
: an act or instance of fluctuating : an irregular shifting back and forth or up and down in the level, strength, or value of something
Small fluctuations in prices are to be expected.
Some fluctuation in real estate values is not unusual.
North American species in general, having contended with blazing July days and frosty September nights as they evolved, are much more tolerant of temperature fluctuations than tropical species are.—
Jonathan Franzen
Jonathan FranzenExamples of fluctuation in a Sentence
political instability that resulted in wild fluctuations in the overseas stock markets
Recent Examples on the Web
Microsoft in 2020 released findings from a two-year study that determined undersea datacenters would prove a reliable and practical solution for issues related to corrosion from oxygen and humidity, temperature fluctuations, and bumps and jostles from people who replace broken components.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025
The fluctuation in price is due to advanced safety features like AFCI and GFCI protection along with mandatory updates to meet current electrical codes, the store said.
—Gabrielle Chenault, Nashville Tennessean, 4 Sep. 2025
Until now, tracking these fluctuations required a network of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) stations located on multiple continents.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
During the 30-day experiment, rats on a diet comprised of 60% fat – far higher than the 35% to 40% typically seen in human diets – excreted more fat after eating the microbeads, but without side effects or blood sugar fluctuations.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fluctuation
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Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025
The fluctuation in price is due to advanced safety features like AFCI and GFCI protection along with mandatory updates to meet current electrical codes, the store said.
—Gabrielle Chenault, Nashville Tennessean, 4 Sep. 2025
Until now, tracking these fluctuations required a network of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) stations located on multiple continents.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
During the 30-day experiment, rats on a diet comprised of 60% fat – far higher than the 35% to 40% typically seen in human diets – excreted more fat after eating the microbeads, but without side effects or blood sugar fluctuations.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fluctuation
Cite this Entry
“Fluctuation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fluctuation. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
fluctuation
noun
fluc·tu·a·tion
ˌflək-chə-ˈwā-shən
1
: a motion like that of waves
especially
: the wavelike motion of a fluid collected in a natural or artificial cavity of the body observed by palpation or percussion
2
a
: a slight and nonheritable variation
especially
: such a variation occurring in response to environmental factors
b
: recurrent and often more or less cyclic alteration (as of form, size, or color of a bodily part)
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