pendulum

noun

pen·​du·​lum ˈpen-jə-ləm 

ˈpen-dyə-, 

-də-

1

: a body suspended from a fixed point so as to swing freely to and fro under the action of gravity and commonly used to regulate movements (as of clockwork)

2

: something (such as a state of affairs) that alternates between opposites

doesn't take much to swing the pendulum of opinion the other way

Examples of pendulum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kaplan had replaced the neoliberal UK politico Nick Clegg just as the political pendulum was swinging and companies were rushing to add MAGA credentials to their boardrooms and executive ranks. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026

After reassembling the housing, the pendulum swung freely, and the familiar chimes echoed through the house once more. — La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

The casual setup and price points at Tiger’s Den swing the sushi pendulum away from ultra luxury and back toward its origins in Japan as a quick, working-class meal. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Then, in 2012, another benchmark called ImageNet swung the pendulum back. — Quanta Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, noun derivative from neuter of Latin pendulus pendulous

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pendulum

• Foucault pendulum

Kids Definition

pendulum

noun

pen·​du·​lum ˈpen-jə-ləm 

: a body hung from a fixed point so as to swing freely back and forth under the action of gravity

Etymology

from scientific Latin pendulum "something suspended so as to swing freely," from Latin pendulus "suspended," from pendēre "to hang" — related to depend, perpendicular