perturbation

noun per·tur·ba·tion \ ˌpər-tər-ˈbā-shən , ˌpər-ˌtər- \

Definition of perturbation

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

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perturbational

play \ˌpər-tər-ˈbā-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl, ˌpər-ˌtər-\ adjective

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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 of perturbation from the Web

However, British astronomer Jean Meeus suggests in his book, More Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, that perturbations in the orbits of the moon and the Earth will result in periods of on-and-off total solar eclipses starting in 620 million years.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "One Day There Will Be No More Total Solar Eclipses," 18 Aug. 2017
Whether the perturbation is in the inner ear itself or the brain, the end result seems to be the same: a feeling of having defied physics and left one’s body.

— sarah zhang, The Atlantic, "Why People Have Out-of-Body Experiences," 26 July 2017
The perturbations resulting from gravitational interaction between planet and star are what have enabled astronomers to find planets outside our solar system.

— c. claiborne ray, New York Times, "A Matter of Considerable Gravity," 26 June 2017
That’s obviously impossible for humans to perceive, but LIGO’s detectors are so sensitive that even such tiny perturbations can’t escape their laser eyes.

— National Geographic, "Bizarre Black Holes Revealed by New Space-Time Ripples," 1 June 2017
Soon that perturbation finds a sudden and disturbing practical correlate.

— richard brody, The New Yorker, "“Personal Shopper” and the Misunderstood Art of Kristen Stewart," 15 Mar. 2017
The perturbations in the magnetic field were similar to what astronomers have observed around objects with thin atmospheres.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "How NASA Discovered Enceladus Has an Ocean," 17 Feb. 2017
This frequency is: Here ν is the frequency of the perturbation and h is a constant (the Planck constant).

— rhett allain, WIRED, "Cool Things You Can Do With a Blue Laser: Reflection vs. Fluorescence," 27 Sep. 2011

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'perturbation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of perturbation

14th century

perturbation Synonyms

Synonyms

agita, agitation, anxiousness, apprehension, apprehensiveness, care, concern, concernment, disquiet, disquietude, fear, nervosity, nervousness, anxiety, solicitude, sweat, unease, uneasiness, worry

Antonyms

unconcern

Near Antonyms

calm, calmness, content, contentment, ease, easiness, peace, peacefulness, placidity, placidness, quiet, quietude, sereneness, serenity, tranquillity (or tranquility), tranquilness; comfort, consolation, relief, solace

PERTURBATION Defined for English Language Learners

perturbation

noun

Definition of perturbation for English Language Learners

: a change in the normal state or regular movement of something
: the state of being worried or upset

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See words that rhyme with perturbation Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for perturbation Britannica English: Translation of perturbation for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about perturbation

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perturbation

Definition of perturbation

perturbational

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perturbation

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perturbation

Definition of perturbation

perturbational

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perturbation

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