perturbation
noun
per·tur·ba·tion
ˌpər-tər-ˈbā-shən 
ˌpər-ˌtər-
1
: the action of perturbing : the state of being perturbed
2
: a disturbance of motion, course, arrangement, or state of equilibrium
especially
: a disturbance of the regular and usually elliptical course of motion of a celestial body that is produced by some force additional to that which causes its regular motion
Examples of perturbation in a Sentence
a perturbation in the planet's orbit
in her perturbation she kept calling her son, a freshman, to see if everything was all right at college
Recent Examples on the Web
Massively parallel genetic perturbation suggests the energetic structure of an amyloid-β transition state.
—
Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
One advantage of our technology is its attention to what control engineers call closed-loop system stability, which means that any perturbations to a normal state lead to only small and fleeting variations.
—Behnood Gholami, IEEE Spectrum, 24 Sep. 2018
Additionally, the multiplex array generates RNAs customized for various types of genetic perturbation.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Tahoe Therapeutics and the Arc Institute have recently partnered in the launch of the Arc Virtual Cell Atlas: the most comprehensive and diverse public database of single-cell level transcriptomic data across a wide range of perturbations.
—Amelia Palermo, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perturbation
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Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
One advantage of our technology is its attention to what control engineers call closed-loop system stability, which means that any perturbations to a normal state lead to only small and fleeting variations.
—Behnood Gholami, IEEE Spectrum, 24 Sep. 2018
Additionally, the multiplex array generates RNAs customized for various types of genetic perturbation.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Tahoe Therapeutics and the Arc Institute have recently partnered in the launch of the Arc Virtual Cell Atlas: the most comprehensive and diverse public database of single-cell level transcriptomic data across a wide range of perturbations.
—Amelia Palermo, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perturbation
Cite this Entry
“Perturbation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perturbation. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perturbation
noun
per·tur·ba·tion
ˌpərt-ər-ˈbā-shən
ˌpər-ˌtər-
1
: the action of perturbing
2
: the state of being perturbed
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