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
D. B. Steinman2
: variation, fluctuation
… famines due to excessive storminess and violent oscillations of rain and drought, heat and cold.—Ellsworth Huntington
Ellsworth Huntington3
: 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.
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 soft tick of a hi-hat pushes everything forward, and the space between each oscillation gets wider and wider, eventually melting away.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 29 Jan. 2026
Maybe this nonstop back-and-forth, this spiritual reverb, this throb-throb oscillation between the actual and the symbolic, the objective and the imagined, is the heartbeat of Moby-Dick.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
That’s five times the oscillation degree of our other picks.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 23 Jan. 2026
To quantify the system’s mechanical output, a sensor tracks the oscillation angle while an electromagnetic brake regulates shaft resistance to simulate varying power loads.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oscillation
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Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 29 Jan. 2026
Maybe this nonstop back-and-forth, this spiritual reverb, this throb-throb oscillation between the actual and the symbolic, the objective and the imagined, is the heartbeat of Moby-Dick.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
That’s five times the oscillation degree of our other picks.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 23 Jan. 2026
To quantify the system’s mechanical output, a sensor tracks the oscillation angle while an electromagnetic brake regulates shaft resistance to simulate varying power loads.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oscillation
Cite this Entry
“Oscillation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oscillation. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
oscillation
noun
os·cil·la·tion
ˌäs-ə-ˈlā-shən
1
: the action or state of oscillating : vibration
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
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