rotation

noun

ro·​ta·​tion rō-ˈtā-shən 

1

a(1)

: the action or process of rotating on or as if on an axis or center

(2)

: the act or an instance of rotating something

b

: one complete turn : the angular displacement required to return a rotating body or figure to its original orientation

2

a

: return or succession in a series

rotation of the seasons

b

: crop rotation

3

: the turning of a body part about its long axis as if on a pivot

4

: a game of pool in which all 15 object balls are shot in numerical order

5

: the series of pitchers on a baseball team who regularly start successive games in turn

rotational

rō-ˈtā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Synonyms of rotation

• spin
• curve
• roll
• wheel
• twirl
• revolution
• reel

Examples of rotation in a Sentence

the rotation of the Earth around its axis

the rotation of the Moon around the Earth

The Earth makes one rotation every day.

Alfalfa and corn are planted in rotation.

the rotation of the job of club president

The car needs a tire rotation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Cress added that while this type of model helicopter boasts a light, single-engine design that is usually trustworthy, the chopper’s blades can lose their momentum in rotation immediately if there is engine failure. — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026

The light design of the rotors also means that if there is an engine failure, the light blades can lose their momentum in rotation quickly, Cress said. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

As is standard practice with ISS crew rotations, the astronauts of Crew-12 will remain aboard the station and continue a typical day-to-day schedule through a brief overlap period between crews once their replacements are safely aboard. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 17 Sep. 2026

Homebuilders continue to trail the S & P 500 on both a weekly and daily basis in our sector rotation model, with no signs yet of turning higher. — Tony Zhang, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing rotation

• crop rotation
• optical rotation

Rhymes for rotation

• ablation
• aeration
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation

Kids Definition

rotation

noun

ro·​ta·​tion rō-ˈtā-shən 

1

a

: the act of rotating especially on an axis

b

: one complete turn

2

: crop rotation

rotational

-shnəl 

-shən-ᵊl

adjective

Medical Definition

rotation

noun

ro·​ta·​tion rō-ˈtā-shən 

: the action or process of rotating on or as if on an axis or center

specifically : the turning of a body part about its long axis as if on a pivot

rotation of the head to look over the shoulder

rotational

-shnəl, -shən-ᵊl 

adjective