oscillation

noun

os·​cil·​la·​tion ˌä-sə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: the action or state of oscillating

stays can be effectively used to prevent oscillations in new bridges

—D. B. Steinman

2

: variation, fluctuation

famines due to excessive storminess and violent oscillations of rain and drought, heat and cold

—Ellsworth Huntington

3

: a flow of electricity changing periodically from a maximum to a minimum

especially : a flow periodically changing direction

4

: a single swing (as of an oscillating body) from one extreme limit to the other

Each oscillation of the pendulum represents one second.

oscillational

ˌä-sə-ˈlā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Synonyms

• change
• fluctuation
• flux
• inconstancy

Examples of oscillation in a Sentence

the continued oscillation of the fan

There has been oscillation between optimism and pessimism among voters.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Saros, then, is just a nice round interval during which all these cycles repeat a whole number of times: 223 passes through the new moon is almost exactly equal to 242 laps in and out of the ecliptic, which is in turn almost exactly equal to 239 oscillations in the moon’s apparent size. —Joshua Sokol, Quanta Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024

The unique internal oscillation keeps the fan stable while still pushing air throughout the room. —Camryn Rabideau, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024

Whether the oscillation shifts to neutral this summer or to a La Niña remains to be seen. —USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024

Well, gamma waves —characterized by an oscillation pattern of 40 cycles, or hertz, per second— are some of the fastest brain waves, intimately linked to the connectivity of different brain regions. —William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

Decades of electroencephalogram studies have shown that a healthy brain’s electrical output produces patterns of repetitive oscillations, or brain waves. —Elizabeth Landau, Quanta Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024

Playing and walking with a dog increased the strength of the alpha-band oscillations, the authors found, which generally indicate stability and relaxation. —Kristen Rogers, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024

One strategy, called optical parametric oscillation, involves bouncing beams of laser light within a crystal, resulting in light organizing itself into pulses of coherent, stable waves. —IEEE Spectrum, 12 Mar. 2024

Again, the effect was strongest when the positive words coincided with the up phase of slow oscillations. —Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

oscillation

noun

os·​cil·​la·​tion ˌäs-ə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: the action or state of oscillating : vibration

2

: variation sense 1, fluctuation

3

: a single swing (as of an oscillating body) from one extreme limit to the other

Medical Definition

oscillation

noun

os·​cil·​la·​tion ˌäs-ə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: the action or state of oscillating

2

: a flow of electricity changing periodically from a maximum to a minimum

especially : a flow periodically changing direction